“The intention of this book, Going Global, is to allow those who are interested to explore the story behind the success, and learn from others’ success stories. Indeed, this book was first conceived to encourage the next generation of South African business leaders to take the risk, to start their own businesses and thus create the large number of jobs that these companies did in recent decades.”

- Professor Nick Binedell, dean of GIBS, in the foreword to Going Global: Insights from South Africa’s Top Companies.

The emergence of South African companies following a period of isolation due to sanctions imposed on the country by the international community is truly inspiring. Going Global: Insights from South Africa’s Top Companies, compiled by Moky Makura in association with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), explores how some of South Africa’s great companies built their brands globally. South African companies did not only entrench their roots in places that were never imagined, they broke barriers and catapulted leading brands into untapped markets. The book, launched during a panel discussion at the GIBS Illovo campus in Johannesburg last week, brought out some of the industry heavyweights featured in Going Global. 

Professor Nick Binedell, dean of GIBS, was joined in the panel discussion by Sifiso Dabengwa (CEO of MTN), Jacko Maree (CEO of Standard Bank), Nic Kohler (CEO of Hollard), Hubert Brody (CEO of Imperial Holdings) and Dr Lyal White (Director of the Centre for Dynamic Markets, GIBS). Professor Binedell set the scene for the discussion on South Africa’s global status and how South African companies were able to penetrate into uncharted territories, making a global footprint and staying on top – paving the way for endless opportunities. Binedell said, “The DNA of top South African global players is fundamentally entrepreneurial and dynamic; Going Global explores the story behind the successes of some of these companies and it is equally important to learn from these.”

Jacko Maree, CEO of Standard Bank, said: “One of the most important lessons from Standard Bank’s venturing into other African countries and beyond is that it is not easy and is very highly competitive. In Nigeria, for instance, we did not only compete with Barclays Bank but also domestic banks such as GT Bank and Fidelity.” He added that despite domestic banks not having the same cross-border capabilities as Standard Bank, they were not to be underestimated as they have some competitive advantages like their deep knowledge of the local market and it was vital to learn from these established entities.

Nic Kohler, CEO of Hollard, added that their strategy was underpinned by the fact that, “Hollard is an opportunistic company by nature, but one of the lessons we have learned is to plan to be spontaneous and to think through opportunities more deliberately. This approach has paid off.”

MTN CEO Sifiso Dabengwa added his perspective on the company’s success especially in countries such as Nigeria where others were not willing to enter into the market because of the perceived risks involved in that market, “All countries and markets are different and have their own characteristics. Nigeria, for instance, was the first country where we learnt that airtime and SIM cards could be sold in the streets by vendors. This was a real eye opener for us.”

Commenting on his company, Hubert Brody, CEO of Imperial Holdings, attributed their success to its founder Bill Lynch who not only had big ideas but also encouraged and motivated people to take the company to the next level. “At Imperial we believe the way to keep business going is to have a federal system; when an Imperial business manager gets home at night he talks about, “my business,” added Brody.

It is clear that South Africa, being a dynamic market, has indeed given rise to some impressive globally competitive companies, drawing on their roots in the country to launch international operations. It is these brands that have made South Africa a force to be reckoned with.

Binedell concluded the session with some food for thought: “The South African challenge is not so much about job creation, but rather about business creation. After all, it is entrepreneurial business that creates new jobs and pays taxes to the state, which ultimately allows the government to develop and transform South Africa’s economy for the benefit of more and more of its people.”

Click here to view photos