In the 100th year of Nelson Mandela’s legacy 67CEOs celebrated more than #67Minutes of Mandela Day giving back to young entrepreneurs through mentorship and guidance. The celebration boasted the presence of entrepreneurs and CEOs who have sustained purpose-filled journeys and longevity in their respective industries.
Keynote Speech by Exxaro Resources CEO
Over 100 delegates gathered at Radisson Blu, in Sandton to hear Mxolisi Mgojo, CEO of Exxaro Resources deliver a Keynote on Servant Leadership and its true meaning. Mxolisi began his talk with the idea of servant leadership being directly linked to an individual’s purpose. He said to delegates; “Everything you are, will be and going to do going forward is premised on the basis of what you see as your purpose for existence”. Mxolisi highlighted the character of a true servant leader as one with:
- humility,
- the ability to empower and give power back to the people,
- good listening skills,
- the humility to admit what they don’t know.
Mxolisi encouraged delegates to practice collaboration and not fear scarcity or be driven by a self-serving competitor complex. He described the entrepreneurial journey as one that is not easy and closed off with these words:
“Having been on this journey myself I know exactly the journey you’re on. Sometimes you want to give up, sometimes you’re on your last cent – you don’t know what to do! Sometimes everything doesn’t seem to go right. God’s time is not your time and in His right time, if you have your faith in Him and believe in Him – in His own way, He will answer you.”
Exxaro Resources joined 67CEOs Foundation as the major sponsor this year under the theme Entrepreneurship Drive: Doing It for Mandela.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Having recently stepped down as CEO of The Innovation Hub and stepping into his new role as Executive Investments & Concessions at Bigen Group, Dr. McLean Sibanda joined 67 CEOs and discussed the future of entrepreneurship and how it will be impacted by the fourth industrial revolution. Dr. McLean started his conversation expressing his view of data being the next currency and went on to question delegates on what they were doing with the opportunities presented to them as the youth.
He encouraged influencers in the industry to make it their mission to provide opportunities and access to the upcoming youth but explained that the work wouldn’t be done by the influencers, instead, it would be done by the young entrepreneurs themselves. “Entrepreneurship means that you’re going to see the opportunities and you’re going to do the work. You’re going to be out there in the trenches making sure that things happen and taking advantage of all the support systems that are out there”. McLean advised entrepreneurs to service the needs of the market place to create value and this is done by:
- Understanding what the customer wants.
- Taking customers seriously.
- Giving the customer what they want
- He left guests with the following thoughts on what was needed to prepare for the future of entrepreneurship:
- Anticipate the future.
- Reform the structure of the Education System.
- Put adequate infrastructure in place.
McLean recently conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) from UNISA showing the importance of continuous growth.
Panel Discussion and Workshops
As the order of the day continued a panel discussion took place under the topic Personal and Business Development of Leadership with panellists; Fay Shao – founder of Tanzanite Sunset, Dr. Richie Achukwu – an Executive Coach and Training, Johnny Muteba – CEO of Pan African Chambers of Commerce, Busi Selesho – Author of Money and Black People, and Nompumelelo Madisa Director at Bidvest. The floor was first opened to Dr. Richie Achukwu who gave 9 fundamentals in business and personal development that everyone seeking this out can apply by asking themselves the following questions:
- Who are you?
- Where do you want to go?
- Who has done what you want to do?
- What are the principles they used to get there?
- How did you get started?
- Why do you want to do it?
- What will you lose if you don’t do it?
- Where do you start?
- Who do you delete from your phone contact list to get to where you’re going?
Later in the day Dr. Richie Achukwu hosted a pitching workshop using the fundamentals listed above.
Under the same topic Nompumelelo spoke about success looking different for everyone and the importance of defining what it is to an individual. She encouraged entrepreneurs to be clear about: 1) what success looks like to them, 2) what their customer wants, and 3) what they want their returns to look like. The remaining panellists concurred and reminded delegates that it is important to know oneself and to not let fear and doubt keep one from pursuing their goals.
100 Minutes of Mentorship
A true fruit of the founders’ labour was witnessed at the event on July 18, 2018 where Sharon Sephuma shared her success story of having initially struggled with her business and experiencing doubt about her future as an entrepreneur. She came as a student to the first annual 67CEOs international Mandela Day and after being paired with mentor, Phuti Mahanyele, her business took a turn for the better. This encouraging testimony is the driving force behind 67CEOs and the kind of results the founders envisioned from conception.
In honour of Madiba’s 100-year legacy, 67CEOs has committed to partnering entrepreneurs with mentors for more than 100 minutes of knowledge sharing. 67CEOs’ core mandate is being fulfilled daily as collaborations with industry experts are taking place and mentorship systems are set in place to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. This rapid growth and its impact and reach in South Africa will continue to service entrepreneurs and SME’s by providing access to knowledge through industry influencers now and in the future.
Watch 67CEOs Entrepreneurship Drive: Doing it for Mandela here.
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