GIBS Centre for African Management and Markets

"As hopeless as it seems, Singapore reminds me that Joburg is redeemable" - Prof. Adrian Saville in the latest The Financial Mail ZA https://lnkd.in/dSeWaq-i

We are delighted to share the first report from our Big Data Series in collaboration with DHL Africa. In this piece, our departure point is the phenomenon of economic complexity. According to this model (and holding all else equal) economies can generate greater prosperity by systematically expanding to produce and export more complex outputs. We rely on the vast data set curated by the Harvard Growth Lab to evaluate levels of economic complexity in the export baskets of six African nations. From there, we present viable product expansion options that each nation might consider targeting to build greater complexity - and therefore prosperity - into their economies. Meruschka King GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) Adrian Saville Francois Fouche Ian Macleod Nerissa Pillay

A fascinating journey to have been on with wonderful partners. Aspen Pharma Group Stavros Nicolaou Allon Raiz Tim Peach Francois Fouche Adrian Saville Ian Macleod

Growing and supporting entrepreneurs – that’s what Raizcorp’s all about. That’s also why we partnered with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) again this year on the Route to Market Challenge – expanding the competition to include a new sponsor and industry. When asked why they got involved, Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express SSA said, “This competition aligns closely to one of the key priorities in our business, the development of SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa. We want to make a tangible difference in the winners’ businesses – to ensure they grow sustainably by connecting people and improving lives.” We sifted through hundreds of applications from local entrepreneurs working in the logistics industry and the top five contestants received guidance from GIBS experts on preparing their business pitches and presenting their proposals to a panel of judges. The top three businesses then advanced to in-depth interviews, where they showcased their potential to integrate with DHL’s supply chain and forge meaningful partnerships. Congratulations to Colin Mkosi of Cloudy Deliveries, a delivery service that operates primarily in township markets and uses bicycles to fulfil deliveries from local restaurants, supermarkets and other stores. A round of applause for Colin and a big thank you to our sponsor, DHL – that’s another talented South African entrepreneur on the road to success! GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) Francois Fouche

We are delighted to publish this article by Tamsin Freemantle and Adrian Saville Read about the primary challenges and tremendous potential for funding sustainability in Africa.

The winners of the 2024 Aspen GIBS Route-to-Market Challenge and DHL Route-to-Market Challenge have been announced at GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) On the Aspen side, Tim Peach, the Director of Ortho-Design, emerged as the winner. The business specialises in designing and manufacturing orthopaedic and soft-tissue fixation devices with a focus on creating innovative biomedical implants and instrumentation that empower surgeons to deliver better care for their patients. Colin Mkosi, Founder of Cloudy Deliveries, is our champion on the DHL side. Cloudy Deliveries offers last-mile delivery services, primarily in township markets by using bicycles to fulfil deliveries from local restaurants, supermarkets and other stores. Congratulations to our runner-up on the Aspen side, Dr. Cornelius Ssemakalu from Iraka Biotech, a biotechnology company that has created an innovative vaccine production platform technology designed to make veterinary vaccines easily accessible and affordable. And our runner-up on the DHL side, Daan Steenkamp from Codera Analytics, provider of powerful economic data and tools that make it easy to understand what is happening in the economy and what this means for businesses and policymakers. Our great thanks to all participants who entered their businesses and took on the challenge. And to our partners, Aspen Pharma Group, DHL Africa and Raizcorp for their invaluable commitment, energy and leadership in making the second year of this unique initiative a success. Thanks to our esteemed judges whose guidance is enriching for any young entrepreneur. Stavros Nicolaou Hennie Heymans, Allon Raiz, Anthony Buckley, Thulani Nala, Dr. Faith Mashele MBA, FCIPS, PhD., Lee Naik, Tebogo Skwambane, Nomsa Olivia Nteleko Meruschka King Venessa Dewing Francois Fouche Adrian Saville Ian Macleod Nerissa Pillay

INTERESTING READ: GIBS faculty Prof Adrian Saville, shares his thoughts on the importance – or lack of importance – of our trade agreement with the US as Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau hurriedly flies to procure its extension.

Ruchir Sharma, the Chief Global Strategist at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, makes the case that the size of the second city in relation to the size of the primary city is a potent measure of both economic development and stability of a country. He measures size by population. Sharma argues that in midsize countries (20 to 100 million people), the city size ratio ought to be in the region of three-to-one. That is, a primary city should not be more than three times the size of a second city. In Sharma’s own words: “That three-to-one rule held in the past and still holds today for the urban centres of the “Asian miracle” economies, including Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, Seoul and Busan in South Korea, and Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan. It holds today for 15 of the 20 major mid-size emerging nations, from Poland to Vietnam. It also holds for five of the seven mid-sized developed countries, from Canada to Germany.” This chart captures the challenge we face on the continent: second cities need growth. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dNEFQcX9 DHL Africa Hennie Heymans Meruschka King GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) Adrian Saville Ian Macleod Nerissa Pillay Francois Fouche

Urbanisation and GDP growth tell a story. Second cities play a crucial role in linking rural areas with major centres. We explore this further in Second to None: Second Cities and 'Next' Cities as Africa's Engines of Prosperity Read more in our report produced in collaboration with DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa: https://lnkd.in/dNEFQcX9 DHL Africa Hennie Heymans Meruschka King GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science) Adrian Saville Nerissa Pillay Francois Fouche Lyal White Ian Macleod

African cities are set for extraordinary growth in the years to come. Managed well, this is an opportunity to foster prosperity. In Second to None: Second Cities and 'Next' Cities as Africa's Engines of Prosperity, produced with DHL Africa, we explore prospects for the continent's second cities to thrive and propose a framework to help achieve this. Read the full report online: https://lnkd.in/dNEFQcX9 Ian Macleod Francois Fouche Adrian Saville Nerissa Pillay