National Business Initiative

05/06/2026

South Africa entered Youth Month confronting a difficult reality: youth unemployment.

50 years after the youth of 1976 fought for the future of this country, millions of young South Africans are still locked out of meaningful economic participation.

This Youth Month, under the theme “RESET@50: The Future Calls!”, the conversation cannot only be about reflection. It must also be about action.

Following the release of the latest unemployment statistics, NBI’s Head of Economic Inclusion and Social Transformation, Gugu McLaren, joined SABC News to unpack the structural drivers behind South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis from skills mismatches and barriers facing entrepreneurs, to the urgent need for practical workplace learning, future-focused skills and inclusive economic growth.

At NBI, we believe young people are not waiting for opportunity. Across the country, young South Africans are already building businesses, adapting, innovating and creating pathways for themselves, often with limited support and in an economy that is struggling to create jobs at the scale required.

The challenge now is ensuring that opportunity, skills development and economic participation become accessible at scale.

Because unemployment is not only an economic issue. It is a human dignity issue.

And if the future calls, action must answer.

🎥 Watch the full interview here:

South Africa's unemployment crisis remains one of the country's biggest economic challenges. The latest figures from Statistics South Africa show the officia...

02/06/2026

“GBVF cannot be addressed in silos.”

Closing the We-Dare Repository Engagement, NBI’s Thevan Naidoo called for stronger collaboration across business, government, academia and civil society to drive coordinated action against GBVF.

The session outlined next steps for organisations interested in joining the We-Dare Repository and Private Sector Community of Practice, a growing ecosystem focused on shared learning, practical action and collective impact.

“One organisation cannot solve this alone.”

02/06/2026

“GBVF is too complex and too deeply rooted for any one organisation to solve alone.”

During a technical deep dive into the We-Dare Repository, NBI’s Osman Cassim demonstrated how the platform is designed to strengthen coordinated corporate action against gender-based violence and femicide through shared knowledge, collaboration and collective learning.

Osman unpacked how the repository serves as a centralised knowledge hub bringing together research, case studies, intervention models, data and practical lessons from corporates, researchers and civil society organisations.

A key theme throughout the demonstration was the need to move beyond fragmented efforts towards an ecosystem approach that enables organisations to:

- Share and access practical interventions

- Learn from peer experiences and case studies

- Align initiatives with ESG and SDG reporting frameworks

- Build stronger communities of practice around GBVF prevention and response

- Strengthen collaboration across sectors

“Corporate action is not about starting from scratch. It is about building on what already exists and doing it together.”

The demo reinforced the growing role of data, shared accountability and coordinated systems in accelerating meaningful action on GBVF.

02/06/2026

“Data alone is not enough. It is what we do with it that matters.”

A powerful fireside conversation at the We-Dare Repository Engagement explored how partnerships, local knowledge, research, technology and coordinated action can strengthen South Africa’s response to GBVF.

The discussion brought together voices from government, research and business to unpack the importance of bridging the gap between policy and practice.

Key reflections from the session included:

1. The need for integrated knowledge systems that move beyond fragmented interventions
2. The importance of local and community-based evidence in shaping effective responses
3. The opportunities and risks presented by AI and digital platforms in the GBVF landscape
4. Why sustained partnerships across government, civil society, academia and business are critical to long-term impact
5. The role of the private sector in moving from awareness to practical, measurable action

NBI member company, The SPAR Group’s, Kathryn Baxter emphasised that corporate action on GBVF must go beyond campaigns and statements.

“We are not here to market ourselves through GBV work. We are here to contribute practical solutions.”

The session reinforced a central theme emerging throughout the engagement: collective action, shared learning and coordinated information systems are essential to shifting the needle on GBVF in South Africa.

02/06/2026

“GBV is not somebody else’s problem. It is everyone’s problem.”

Delivering the keynote on the background to the We-Dare Network, Prof. Mollie Painter highlighted how collective action, empathy and shared responsibility must sit at the centre of efforts to address gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.

Reflecting on the origins of the initiative following the 2019 march to the JSE, she challenged the long-held perception that GBV exists outside the responsibility of business.

“What can corporates do? What resources do they hold? How do we move from awareness to action?”

She shared how the We-Dare Network evolved through partnerships between academia, NGOs, corporates and communities using digital innovation, community-led interventions and collaboration to strengthen survivor support and scale impact.

A key message throughout the session was that technology alone is not the solution.

“Digital tools matter. But care, dignity, empathy and collective responsibility matter just as much.”

The engagement continues to explore how the private sector can work together to strengthen coordinated responses to GBVF through shared learning, data and action.

02/06/2026

“We cannot afford to let GBV fall off the agenda.”

Opening the We-Dare Repository Engagement, NBI’s Thevan Naidoo underscored the urgency of sustained, collective action against gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.

She highlighted the importance of coordinated private sector leadership, warning that while issues such as geopolitics, climate change and economic pressures continue to dominate national and global conversations, GBVF remains a national crisis that demands equal urgency.

“The reality is that South Africa’s femicide rate remains five times the global average.”

The session reinforced the need to move beyond fragmented interventions towards shared knowledge, collaboration and action with the We-Dare Repository positioned as a tool to strengthen collective learning, accountability and impact.

02/06/2026

Gender-based violence and femicide is not only a societal crisis, it is a leadership challenge that demands coordinated action across all sectors.

Today, leaders from business, research, civil society and policy come together at the We-Dare Repository Engagement to explore how the private sector can strengthen collective action against GBVF through collaboration, shared learning and accountability.

The session will spotlight the role of the We-Dare GBV Repository in advancing corporate action, ESG reporting and data-driven responses that contribute towards a safer and more equitable South Africa.

📍 GIBS, Johannesburg
🗓️ Today, 2 June 2026

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29/05/2026

🚨 We’re hiring: Senior Programme Manager (TAMDEV & Building of State Capacity unit)

The National Business Initiative (NBI) is looking for a Senior Programme Manager to help drive high-impact, multi-stakeholder programmes focused on infrastructure development, municipal capacity strengthening and sustainable systems change in South Africa.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of business, government, and development, supporting initiatives that strengthen implementation capacity and unlock long-term, systemic impact.

🌍 Work across national development and infrastructure programmes that matter

We are looking for someone who can:
- Lead complex programme design and delivery
- Build strong partnerships across sectors
- Drive research, policy engagement, and knowledge outputs
- Support capacity-building and stakeholder collaboration
- Manage budgets and ensure strong programme governance

🔗 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dmi-22wS

28/05/2026

🚀 Important NBI conversations taking place today!

⚖️ In Johannesburg, business, civil society and academic leaders are gathering for a high-level roundtable on Social Justice for Business: Framing Inclusion & Economic Participation unpacking the role of the private sector in driving inclusive growth, equality and economic participation in South Africa.

🌍 At the same time, business leaders and sustainability practitioners are joining Module 3 of the Nature Action Accelerator, focused on embedding nature into business strategy, operations and investment decision-making.

From social justice to nature-positive transformation it’s all happening today at NBI.

Follow us on LinkedIn as we share key insights and moments from both engagements throughout the morning.

26/05/2026

“A Just Transition cannot be a top-down process. Communities must be heard and included in shaping the future of their local economies.”

Speaking on municipal readiness and the role of local government, SALGA’s Ms Babalwa emphasised the critical role municipalities play in enabling an inclusive and locally responsive transition.

She highlighted the work SALGA is doing to strengthen municipal capacity, supporting local economic development and ensuring communities meaningfully benefit from transition opportunities.

She reinforced that municipalities are at the forefront of addressing energy access, economic resilience and local development challenges while also needing to support communities to prepare for a changing climate.

Ms Babalwa stressed the importance of collaboration to ensure the transition delivers practical socio-economic impact and supports long-term local resilience.

Nkangala District Municipality | GIZ South Africa| JUST SA | TIPS (NPC) | WWF South Africa