I hope that you and your families are well. As the year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the extraordinary (and extraordinarily warm) welcome that I’ve received from GSB alumni all over the world. I also wanted to share my excitement at what lies ahead for the School.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for the GSB, it has also made clear the School’s unique and vital position in shaping the future of South Africa and beyond. This distinctive moment has not only disrupted long-held systems, approaches and beliefs around the world, but it has created a new urgency in discussions about issues such as diversity and inequality, business in complex environments, trade and investment in emerging markets, and the role of the private sector in society. As our alumni know so well, the GSB has long led global research and impact on these issues, and the School is now at the center of many of these critically important conversations.
My goal is to ensure that the GSB, as the leading business school in Africa, is at the forefront of this global reimagining of business practices and business education. The School and its alumni have an unparalleled understanding of the challenges and opportunities of working in complex environments, and we can lead these conversations as the world not only becomes more complex, but as more and more global attention turns to Africa. One of my plans is for the GSB to help tell the real story of business on the African continent – the exciting, innovative one that so many of our alumni not only live, but have helped to shape – and to use those insights to improve business and business education around the world.
The GSB cannot assume this leadership role without its alumni. In the past four months I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting many of you at the virtual reunion, at the first of our new series of alumni webinars, through the GSB Foundation and the Alumni Board, and in individual meetings and phone calls. I continue to be inspired by the passion, commitment, and talent in the GSB community – very much including our alumni – and I am keen to set a course to help enhance, coordinate, and communicate these remarkable insights and activities. There is certainly work to be done, both internally and externally, but there are also tremendous opportunities, and I look forward to sharing the School’s vision and progress with you in the coming months.
I hope that our collective goal, as a community, will be to create a School that can have a broader and more lasting impact on South Africa, on the African continent, and around the world than any one of us could on our own – the goal that the GSB Foundation was founded to achieve. As we chart the future of the GSB, I look forward to engaging with you on behalf of the School and the Foundation, to hearing your insights and experience, and to working together to ensure that the GSB has the global influence and standing that will allow it to achieve its tremendous potential and lead for generations to come.
Wishing you and your families a safe, restful, and cheerful festive season and new year!
Dr Catherine Duggan Director of the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB)
Ian Kantor, the founder of Investec, has retired from the Investec Board of Directors after 45 years.
Ian is best known to the business world as the founder of Investec, the international banking and wealth management group. Investec is a South African success story: listed on both the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges, it employs 10 000 people worldwide. Investec also contributes to society, partnering with local communities and supporting the growth of entrepreneurs.
Ian grew up in the Free State and has a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pretoria. In 1969, he enrolled for an MBA at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB). After graduating, Ian started his career at IBM and taught business finance at the University of the Witwatersrand with an emphasis on the mathematics of finance. He was in the same class as Stewart Cohen (who later became a co-founder of Mr Price), Tiger Wessels and Peter Thorrington-Smith (who would both go on to establish UTI Worldwide). In 2015 Ian joined them to establish the UCT GSB Foundation and is a stalwart supporter of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts. Ian is still an active alumnus of the UCT GSB and remains very much engaged with his alma mater; he also serves on the GSB’s Board of Advisors.
On 28th March 1974, Ian started a small leasing company, as a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments, which in 1976, together with Larry Nestadt and the late Errol Grolman, he acquired and named Investec. In 1978, Glynn Burger, Bernard Kantor and Stephen Koseff joined Investec. Ian continued as CEO of Investec until 1984, Chairman of the holding company of Investec until 2002 and a non-executive director of Investec until 2020.
In 1988, Ian moved to the Netherlands to acquire and develop Bank Insinger de Beaufort, a private bank, as its CEO, and later Executive Vice-Chairman as well as Chairman of the holding company of Insinger de Beaufort, listed in Luxemburg. More recently, Ian founded Sailfish Management B.V., based in Amsterdam.
In 2016, together with his wife Mary Lou, Ian set up a foundation in Amsterdam called New Angle which helps and supports various medical, sport and cultural institutions such as Alzheimer Centre of the Free University of Amsterdam, the World Press Photo Foundation as well as De Balie, the biggest centre for free speech in the world.
Besides his reputation as a numbers person, Ian is an avid reader, earning him the nickname “the philosopher” from his Investec partners. He has also been a dedicated runner since the age of fifteen; he has run in many cities across the world, from Hong Kong to Moscow. His favourite route ever is on the Cape Peninsula: the coastal road from Clifton to Hout Bay harbour and back, at 5 am on Saturday while listening to the Bea Reed’s Gentle Alternative on Springbok radio.
The GSB Foundation Board of Trustees joins the academic community of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in congratulating Dr Catherine Duggan on her appointment as Director of the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB). We extend a warm welcome and look forward to an inspiring new chapter at the school.
Dr Duggan joins the UCT GSB as Director on September 1st 2020. With a background in political science, Dr Duggan has spent more than 20 years working on the African continent. She comes with a wealth of experience of various countries of the continent, their market and business environments as well as research in business and development.
Before joining the GSB, Dr Duggan held the position of Vice Dean for Strategy and Research at the African Leadership University School of Business (ALUSB) in Rwanda, where she was a Professor of Management and Political Economy. Dr Duggan also taught at Saïd Business School, UK and Harvard Business School, USA during her career.
Dr Duggan is currently in New York and – considering the COVID regulations on international travel and local university life – we hope to greet her soon in person at our beautiful Cape Town campus.
There is less than a month to tax-year end on 28 February, the time of the year when many of us prepare our tax returns. If you haven’t taken full advantage of the tax-deductible amount you’re donating to charitable causes, then now is the time to do so.
Making a donation to the GSB Foundation now will not only save you tax: this saving may then allow you to increase the amount you donate to others and benefit those you sponsor even more.
How you can help us take Africa’s future leaders further
You can take advantage of the tax benefits available by donating to the GSB Foundation before the end of February in two convenient ways:
Become a regular donor making recurring contributions by signing up for the R100-a-month campaign. You could also pay R1200 or more for the full year up front to boost your tax benefit. Donate now
Your tax benefits
If you are registered for tax in South Africa, you can donate up to 10% of your annual income without paying a cent of tax on it. We will also give you a Section 18A tax certificate to present to SARS, as we are a registered Public Benefit Organisation.
Other countries where you can donate to the GSB Foundation with tax benefits include Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. Benefits vary from country to country, read more here.
For more information on ways to donate and the particular tax benefits for the country where you pay tax, please email us at contact@gsbfoundation.org.za
Your generosity will be much appreciated.
What your donations do
Your donations will enable future leaders to make the most of their time at the GSB, launching them into careers that we humbly hope will fulfil our stated vision of building leaders committed to building Africa.
This year we have been able to fund four full scholarships for the full-time MBA course. Asanda, Euston, Jane and Nobukhosi are on their way, supported by the contributions of generous GSB alumni. These graduates are already established professionals in their own right.
Linda and Peter extended a warm welcome to the 2019 scholars of the GSB Foundation. Nobukhosi, Jane, Asanda and Euston will be studying for the MBA on a full-time basis this year, supported by the Foundation.
The scholars, each in their own right, are seasoned professionals ready for the next challenge. Nobukhosi carved out her career in construction and Jane in retail marketing; Asanda climbed the ranks in accounting and financial services, and Euston in geoscience and mining.
The GSB Foundation scholarship provides for tuition fees, mentoring, and other non-financial support of scholars throughout the year; the assistance is enabled solely by the contributions of time, treasure and talent by GSB Alumni. Candidates for the scholarship have passed all UCT GSB entry requirements and been offered a place on the GSB MBA Programme prior to applying to be considered for a scholarship.
Congratulations on your amazing achievements thus far and wishing you a great start on campus! We look forward to being a part of your journey this year.
The students of the 2019 GSB MBA classes – full-time and modular – started on campus and orientation week is in full swing. Earlier in the week, students followed the invitation of the GSB Foundation and met with Peter Wingrove, the Foundation’s Managing Director, for an informal session on the Foundation’s work and offerings.
Peter started the session with explaining the big picture, that the students are now part of the GSB Alumni network; a network that spans 5000+ graduates in more than 80 countries across the globe. It is these alumni who support the GSB Foundation, united by the vision to enable the future generations of GSB Graduates.
The students of 2019 hail from many countries, including Angola, India, Belgium, Germany, Canada and of course, South Africa. They can tap into the GSB Alumni network during the time of their studies and beyond. They can also get involved, from wherever their paths will take them. The students also asked questions relating to the Foundation, the Alumni network and managing the workload of the MBA programme. Peter, being a GSB MBA Graduate himself, was able to give advice on how students can make the most of their time and how to start growing their network.
As mentioned by Peter at the end of the session – the team of the GSB Foundation wishes all MBA students of 2019 a productive and inspiring time on campus and we look forward to engaging with you!
Sandy Mattison (GSB MBA ‘97) received the 2018 GSB Director’s Alumni Award in the category “Contribution in building alumni relationships”. The award was presented at the 2018 GSB Graduation Ball, 22 June 2018 at Century City Conference Centre, by Acting UCT GSB Director Associate Professor Kosheek Sewchurran.
Sandy is passionate about the GSB MBA programme and the GSB Foundation’s work of supporting students with their studies. A GSB alumna herself, she wanted to get involved and she certainly set the bar high: Her aim was to raise R100,000 towards an MBA scholarship.
The idea of the fundraiser was sparked at the reunion of the MBA Class of ’97 in December 2017 and soon thereafter, Sandy started rallying for the cause. In co-operation with the GSB Foundation, a dedicated Class of ’97 MBA Scholarship Fund was set up. Within six months she had gathered more than twenty individual pledges from class colleagues over R5,000 each and the funds raised exceeded the amount she initially set out to achieve.
The GSB Foundation congratulates Sandy on her hard work and fully supports this wonderful recognition of her efforts by the GSB. We are deeply grateful for her initiative and extraordinary dedication. Due to Sandy’s efforts and that of her class colleagues, another student will be able to complete the GSB MBA programme with the support of the GSB alumni network.
Sandy’s class is one of several classes now raising funds for MBA scholarships at the GSB – if you would like to know more, please see the GSB Foundation’s Alumni Campaigns page. The Director’s Alumni Awards were initiated in 2007 and annually honour alumni of the GSB who have made an outstanding contribution to the alma mater.
There is less than a month to tax-year end on 28 February. If you haven’t taken full advantage of the tax-deductible amount you’re donating to charitable causes, then now is the time to do so.
Maximising your donation now will not only save you tax: it may also allow you to increase the amount you donate and benefit others you sponsor even more.
How you can help us fund Africa’s future leaders
You can take advantage of the tax benefits available by donating to the GSB Foundation before the end of February in two convenient ways:
Become a regular donor making recurring contributions by signing up for the R100-a-month campaign. You could also pay R1200 or more for the full year up front to boost your tax benefit. Donate now
Your tax benefits
If you are registered for tax in South Africa, you could stretch your donation further by donating up to 10% of your annual income without paying a cent of tax on it. We will also give you a tax certificate to present to SARS, as we are a registered Public Benefit Organisation.
Other countries where you can donate to the GSB Foundation with tax benefits include Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. Benefits vary from country to country, read more here.
For more information on any of the above ways to donate and the particular tax benefits for the country where you pay tax, please email us at contact@gsbfoundation.org.za
The incoming GSB students of the MBA Full-time 2018 and Modular 2018/19 were treated to a lively, entertaining and somewhat different introduction to the MBA programme by Raymond van Niekerk, member of the GSB Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Raymond, having done the GSB MBA in 1996, shared his views and tips on how students can get the most out of the programme. There were funny snippets, for example how to survive the legendary Sunrise Challenge (a tradition among MBA students at the GSB). There was also well-meant advice, such as appreciating the diversity of students attending the programme – you work with people from different backgrounds, with different experiences and perspectives. Interacting in class or working together on assignments is, sooner or later, bound to challenge one’s usual approach and spark new ideas; students should leverage this to the max as there is a lot to be gained. Last but not least – connections and friendships will be forged in the year ahead that will last well beyond the programme.
On behalf of the Foundation board and team: A warm welcome to all new students on campus and we look forward to engaging with you in future!
The MBA Modular Class of 2006 has launched a campaign to provide the GSB Philippi Village campus with a video link back to the main campus at the V&A Waterfront.
The idea was conceived at their 10-year reunion in December 2016, where the class challenged themselves to leave a legacy to the GSB. After visiting the Philippi Village campus, members of the class were highly impressed with the facilities and what they offer, and noted the need for a dedicated video link back to the main GSB campus to bring the school’s world-class teaching directly into the Philippi community.
Says class member and campaign co-ordinator, David Crewe-Brown, “It is an incredible facility and they have had great success already with multiple small businesses running using this [GSB Philippi Village campus] as a base”.
