What can you achieve in a year? To find out, we asked our thought leaders to share their 2019 highs and lows. Business growth sometimes forces you to make tough choices, it was the lesson of the year for Athabile Jojo, CEO of Diversity Empowerment.
The biggest wins for 2019
Realignment of our brand and changing our name from Diversity BEE to Diversity Empowerment enabled us to communicate our message of sustainable development to our customers better. This also meant that we had to refine our business strategy and focus areas.
Everything we do is about people and changing people’s lives. In the business we’ve also successfully launched a number of projects, namely the Retirement Benefit Counselling Project, SOSCALL24 (insurance plumbing and electrical claims installations operations) and the Vesco (a 12 month learnership project for 44 youth in Sebokeng).
The biggest lesson that I have learnt this year was the importance of having the right team around you
Losses we had to overcome
By refining our service offering to align with our vision, it then meant that we had to let go of some of our long-standing clients whom we have worked with over a long period of time.
It is never easy to part with clients, but we sincerely believe that business growth at times requires you to make tough decisions. The changes in the short term also mean that your revenue gets affected a lot.
Find your dream team
The biggest lesson that I have learnt this year was the importance of having the right team around you. I have also had to spend a lot of time on self-development so that I can become a better communicator to my teams.
Thoughts on the state of entrepreneurship for 2019
While entrepreneurship is clearly the future of South Africa, it is also a threat to those in power who depend on the majority of people to have a view that they are dependent on them. When you are an entrepreneur you take charge of your destiny and future.
The country needs more entrepreneurs, independent people that are not waiting on the government or business to make a living, but rather people who are focused on solving the current social problems that we have.
Entrepreneurs in South Africa are the heartbeat of our economy and we need to keep fighting to make a meaningful impact
My wish for entrepreneurs in 2020
The success of the Springboks in the World Cup has had me thinking and reflecting a lot. The country was unified for once. My hopes for 2020 is that we all come together for a common cause and ensure that South Africa, indeed, does take its rightful place as the leader in finding solutions for the many problems that we encounter.
Entrepreneurs in South Africa are the heartbeat of our economy and we need to keep fighting to make a meaningful impact and ensure business growth, and play our role in the growth of our economy. My hope is that we get a bigger voice and bigger platforms to contribute in the making 2020 the year where we start to see growth in our economy.
About Athabile Jojo:
Jojo is the CEO of Diversity Empowerment. He leads a team that provides turnkey transformation and broad-based black economic empowerment solutions to South African businesses.
He has a passion for facilitating relationships between businesses, social enterprises and communities with the aim of empowering previously disadvantaged people. Jojo’s career commenced in 2005 at Avis, as an intern. In 2006 he was hired as a trainee manager and in 2007 he was appointed as the operations manager in the Eastern Cape for eight years.
From there, he branched into entrepreneurship and purchased a Fish and Chips takeaway business. Jojo also served Execentris as an executive director in 2016 for a short stint before coming on as a co-owner to Diversity B-BBEE in the same year. Then later renamed Diversity Empowerment when he became the sole owner. He is also a ReimagineSA activator.
