Business

Sex in the workplace

Written by Tendai Maidza
Monday, 06 February 2012 15:54

For years the issue of sexual harassment has been a thorny issue that many would rather skirt due to the subjective nature of the crime. Yet the reality is there are more cases than not which should be getting the attention they deserve to protect innocent victims from such abhorrent treatment at the hands of those you work with.

 

Thembi*, a manager in a prestigious audit firm, used to regularly liaise with a senior male partner regarding clients and audits that she managed and he oversaw. In these meetings, the partner would make remarks about her body, how attractive she was to him and how if she were to date him, she would not need to work. Initially Thembi thought nothing of these remarks and would simply do her best to avoid the partner in question. When she absolutely had to face him and he made inappropriate comments, she would pretend not to hear him. While aware that his behaviour was inappropriate, Thembi chose not to take action, because she thought perhaps she was being “overly sensitive”.

Rags to Riches: Shaun Battleman - Activist, Teacher, Entrepreneur

Written by Administrator
Monday, 19 December 2011 10:42

From fighting the apartheid government of old to battling to get a petrol card for his fledgling business, the Black Management Forum’s top entrepreneur for 2011 knows what it means to struggle – but that hasn’t made him less of an optimistic South African.

The current discourse on the South African economy is focused on the need to develop a generation of black industrialists, based on the cornerstone of entrepreneurship, where power and wealth creation is not tied to political office. The shortcomings of black economic empowerment, complicated by the challenges of “tenderpreneurship” and a global recession have also contributed to the growing calls for a new wave of industrialists. This year the Black Management Forum celebrated South Africa’s entrepreneurs with the top prize being awarded to a relatively new player, African Access Holdings, a diversified company that has become entrenched in the South African landscape. The company was by former teacher Shaun Battleman, Thabo Mpama and Mateli Mpuntsha in 2003.

Marriage and Money

Written by Tshepo Matseba
Monday, 19 December 2011 09:20

Tshepo Matseba, head of marketing at Momentum’s financial planning division, highlights the key issues that couples should consider before tying the knot.

What aspects of your partner’s financial affairs should you evaluate before getting married?


Their earning potential, as this will give you some indication of whether or not you are likely to have financial peace of mind. The starting point is survival, which is about having the means to fund basic necessities and day-to-day financial obligations such as a home, vehicle, medical expenses, and education for your children.

Rags to Riches: Lere's shoe shine experience

Written by Brendah Nyakudya
Tuesday, 04 October 2011 14:56

When Lere Mgayiya’s ambitions of being a pilot were destroyed, after an unfair dismissal, the future looked bleak, with no hope of securing permanent employment. But, as with most things in life, what started out as a misfortune turned out to be the start of the rest of his life as it was then he found his “inner entrepreneur” and started Lere’s Shoe Shine Experience. Since then he has won the Sanlam Money Game a programme that pits budding entrepreneurs against each other to see who can make the biggest profit in three days with R30 000 and in 2004 he was also national runner-up in the SAB Kick-start Competition in 2004, a youth focused programme aimed to stimulate sustainable enterprise development... And that’s just been the beginning.