In Good Company conference - building the nation through business

Join the journey of forward thinking companies and consider how we can influence society, the economy and our nation through good business at the Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria on Wednesday 10 June 2015 from 7am breakfast start to the concluding lunch at 1.30pm. Radio personality, Azania Mosaka is the MC.

'In Good Company' is a term one would normally use to describe time with friends or people that one identifies with - be it on shared values, beliefs or passion. That is exactly what the conference is about, bringing together like-minded business leaders who believe in business and the bottom line, as well as using their influential positions to affect positive change in our country.

Speakers

• Bobby Godsell, chairman of Business Leadership South Africa, co-chairman of the country's National Planning Commission and a leading member of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's "war room" tackling South Africa's current energy supply problems;
• Charmaine Smith co-founder of Infundo, designs sustainable programmes and collaborative frameworks that leverage relationships to change the fabric of educational delivery across South Africa;
• Frans Cronje, chief executive of South African Institute of Race Relations and author of the current bestselling scenario book, South Africa - Our Next Ten Years;
• Professor Mamokgethi Setati Phakeng, vice-principal of research and innovation at Unisa. She is also president of Convocation at Wits University, trustee of the FirstRand Foundation, a member of the SA Board for the International Council for Science and a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation; and
• Shawn Theunissen, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Growthpoint. He also established a training consultancy, GLO Consulting and has provided leadership, entrepreneurial, project management and soft skills training.

Business panel

In addition to these presentations, a business panel, consisting of Andile Ncontsa, Litha Communications; Bertie Lourens, Wasteplan; Bonolo Ramokhele, LeoFortis Group; Petrus de Kock, Brand South Africa; and Pieter Faure, The Mertech Group, will discuss 'Our unique, and shared, realities'.

The morning of 'blue sky' insights discusses what businesses can and should do to help bring about a positive future for South Africa; practical examples of how 'doing good' can help businesses to do well on the bottom line and an understanding of the nature of young South Africans (27 million 'born frees' since 1990).

The 'In Good Company' gathering is a reinforcement of the concept that business is at its best when it is both profitable and making an impact on society. Increasingly, companies are realising that if a business model advances only a few, at the cost of many, such an enterprise is innately flawed and will lack competitive advantage.

The conference aims to stir a new wave of successful, profitable businesses that are driven by a sense of purpose and invest in the broader wellbeing of society. The sessions are designed both to expose attendees to profound, fact and experience-based knowledge and to facilitate a useful exchange of insight.

Online tool to measure CSI

The event will also be introducing a new online business tool for users to check how well they are carrying out corporate social investment (CSI) work and how to adjust for more effective CSI. The CSI Benchmarking Tool, which has been developed by a group of CSI specialists and management consultants, will be free tool available to all businesses in South Africa.

The cost of the event is R850 for non-members and R595 for Nation Builder members - no VAT is levied on either of these amounts. For more information, email Debbie Last at Litha Communications, az.oc.snoitacinummocahtil@eibbed or call +27 (0) 11 484 7663.