In November 2019, as TymeBank’s chief executive officer (CEO) Tauriq Keraan watched customers registering to use the new digital bank at its kiosk in the Rosebank store of the South African supermarket chain Pick n Pay, he was excited by the success of the venture, but also concerned about how to ensure its sustainability. TymeBank had become the first fully-branchless, digital bank in South Africa when it opened for business in February 2019.

In July 2019, Nhlanhla Dlamini, the managing director of Maneli Pets based in Johannesburg, South Africa had recently opened an office in Cincinnati in the United States to take over the distribution and marketing of the company’s high-quality protein pet treats. Sitting in his new office, Dlamini contemplated the challenges he had experienced since starting Maneli Pets in 2016, not least of which was parting company with US-based Novel Dog LLC, which had previously marketed and distributed the pet treats.

In April 2022, Ahmed Mujtaba Razzak, director of Montage Interior Solutions, a design, building and construction company based in Mayfair, Johannesburg, was preparing for the official opening of the company’s newly-built Clifton Mall.[1] Ahmed, whose family had immigrated to South Africa from Pakistan in 2004, had big goals for the mall: he wanted it not only to be profitable for his family, but also to help uplift the lives of the shop owners and the member

Shaun Laffer, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sunpac (Pty) Ltd, a private distributor of personal care brands, described 2023 as having been an “extraordinarily challenging year” for doing business in South Africa. Macroeconomic factors, such as the devaluing rand, rolling power outages, delays caused by congestion at the country’s ports, rising interest rates and shrinking disposable income, were just some of the challenges Sunpac had faced.

Completing my Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Business at WBS was a transformative journey, providing me with valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of digital business.

A very rewarding and demanding experience that provided a rare opportunity to thoroughly research the topic of executive management.

The defining moment for me was not so much that we were able to turn the business around, but rather the ability to practically apply skills learned while studying. Having business acumen and skills is one thing, practically applying them and realising business shifts is a new experience altogether.

Passing my PhD and graduating was a defining and memorable moment for me. A great sense of accomplishment, it was both the ‘Mama, I did it’ feeling and the ‘coming of age’ feeling which came with the sudden realisation that I could do that and more.

A defining moment in my career has been the realisation that my purpose as an entrepreneur is far reaching, not just to create jobs and wealth, but also be a leading example of charting a path others can follow, especially women.

I feel honoured and proud to be a young entrepreneur, to create employment for other young people, and to deliver value through my business Corium Skincare. My entire life shifted the day I realised that I can actually do it, and I went for it!