Come and join the East of England tribe for a cup of coffee and some real South African spirit.

It is a safe space where everyone is welcome. A chance to connect, laugh, talk about your business, and getting to know one another a little bit better. All of these events are completely effortless and so much fun, you just have to turn up!

We look forward to meeting you.

Ubuntu – I am because we are.

Attendance is free, but booking is essential. Zoom links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event.

2022 will be a year of reckoning for South Africa, confronting twin crises of economic decline and political uncertainty. 

Rescuing the economy will take both political will and prudent policy choices. The country also requires a credible strategy to combat corruption and introduce much needed accountability into the delivery of public services. Expanding economic inclusion amidst rising debt and societal tensions will remain a priority. All this, alongside tensions in the governing ANC as President Cyril Ramaphosa fights for the soul of the party.

To help shed light on these issues, and give us some insight into what the future might hold, Chamber Chairman Sharon Constançon will be talking with Daniel Silke, who is today regarded as one of South Africa’s most influential commentators on political, economic and future trends. He is currently the Director of the Political Futures Consultancy based in Cape Town and provides a host of major blue-chip domestic and foreign clients with the latest analysis on contemporary issues.

Silke specialises in a range of highly acclaimed keynote presentations and offers audiences the very latest research and analysis presented in a highly entertaining, yet stimulating and engaging style. Silke’s keynotes are factual and content-driven. His research is meticulous and his speaking style is relaxed, yet forceful in impact. Translating the world of data into understandable trends is essential for business and Silke’s approach has won him praise across the world.

Attendance is free, but advance booking is essential. Links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event.

Apart from being an author of the best selling book "How to be Unstoppable" Cindy is a wife, mother to two girls, a businesswoman, has climbed Kilimanjaro, built a crèche for under-privileged children, has her own foundation, is a motivational speaker and an entrepreneur who single handedly launched her business, Pro Appointments, 27 years ago.

In this talk, Cindy will speak about:

1. Guilt - the gift that keeps on  giving. 
2. Perfectionism - ain't nobody got time for that.
3. Stop comparing - stay in your own lane.
4. Self-care - you can't pour from an empty cup.

This is a vulnerable and funny talk about one woman who wears many hats, trying to balance business, family and life.

This event is free, but booking is essential.  Zoom links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event.

We are at a crossroads, the wrecking-ball of Covid-19 has destroyed global norms, and while many think that after the devastation there will be a return to "normality", to Ian Goldin, Professor of Development and Globalisation at the University of Oxford, this is a regressive notion. It was business as usual that led to the pandemic and may, if the right lessons are not learned, lead us into a dystopian future.

Sharon Constancon, Chairman of the South African Chamber of Commerce UK will be in conversation with Professor Goldin about his book "From Global Crisis To A Better World", which tackles the challenges and opportunities posed by the Covid-19 pandemic ranging from globalisation to the future of jobs, income inequality and geopolitics, the climate crisis and the future of cities. 

He believes that this crisis can create opportunities for change, just as the Second World War was the catalyst that led the creation of the welfare state, the establishment of the United Nations and other international institutions that laid the foundations for a host of social and economic reforms, changing the world for the better.  

From Global Crisis To A Better World can be found here.

Attendance at this event is free, but booking is essential. Links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event.

How Eskom can become sustainable without a reliance on Coal.

As you might imagine, we've had a fantastic response for this event, for which we're very grateful. That makes it all the more disappointing to have to announce that this event is now postponed.

Due to the continuing turmoil in South Africa caused by the recent announcement of Stage 4 Load Shedding, allegations of sabotage and a shortage of diesel reserves, it is entirely forgivable that the company's top executives have had to return to South Africa from the COP26 summit post haste.

As much as we're disappointed to be postponing this event, it's clear that their first priority must be to address the energy crisis that the country is now facing, which risks compromising the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, we are assured that Mr de Ruyter and his team will be back in London soon, hopefully before the New Year, at which point we will continue with this event. We're sure that you will have lots of questions to put to him, and we hope to be able to raise those, and many others with him as soon as the urgent demands on his time and attention allow.

We are delighted to be joined by Eskom CEO, André de Ruyter, and Head of Eskom's Just Energy Transition Office, Mandy Rambharos, for a roundtable discussion on the path Eskom is taking towards sustainability and how that aligns with COP26.  The discussion will be moderated by Peter Attard Montalto, Head of Capital Markets Research, Intellidex UK Ltd and SA Chamber Director.

They have kindly agreed to join us on their way back home from COP26 in Glasgow, and will share with us some of the outcomes from the summit on large scale climate finance and what lessons Eskom can learn from the experience of their peers.

Hosted by Freshfields, there will be a small invited audience of key stakeholders, and to allow for wider participation of SACC members it will be live streamed on Zoom, which you are invited to attend.

After a short presentation on key topics and a fireside chat, there will be plenty of time for open Q&A. This briefing is off the record and not open to the media.

Panellists:

André de Ruyter

André currently serves as the Group Chief Executive (GCE) of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.
 
Over a 30-year career, André has plied his trade both locally and internationally in various portfolios in the energy space. He has significant experience in managing coal, oil, chemical and gas businesses, including marketing of export coal to international utilities and taking responsibility for the operations of very large coal and gas conversion plants, including electricity generation.
 
He was a member of the Sasol group executive committee from 2009 to 2014, and spent some time in China as President of China Ventures and also in Germany in a business turnaround and management capacity. He was appointed as CEO of Nampak in 2014 – a position he left when he accepted the Group Chief Executive role at Eskom in January this year (2020).
 
André holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands, a Bachelor of Law (LLB) which he obtained from the University of South Africa as well as a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pretoria.
 
He is married with three children and lives in Johannesburg.

Mandy Rambharos

Mandy is the General Manager in the Office of the Group Chief Executive of Eskom Holdings, managing the Just Energy Transition (JET) office.
 
In this role she is overseeing the development and acceleration of the utility’s JET vision and strategy. Eskom is the national electricity utility and one of the largest businesses in South Africa. Eskom currently supplies over 90% of the electricity used in the country.

Mandy has over 20 years’ experience in Eskom. She developed numerous climate change and sustainable development related strategies for Eskom and was instrumental in driving Eskom’s efforts in this regard over the years.

Mandy was also appointed to serve on the recently established Presidential Commission on Climate Change, who will drive South Africa’s Just Transition plans. She serves on the Boards of the NBI (South Africa’s National Business Initiative), Verra and Global Change Institute (University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg) and represents Eskom on the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition advisory committee and the Net Zero task force.

Peter Attard Montalto

Peter is Head of Capital Markets Research at South African consultancy and research company Intellidex. He continues to be based in London but travels to South Africa regularly. Peter has an extensive profile as a commentator and thought leader on economic and political issues and a particular interest in the drivers of long term development of South Africa with a focus on education and township economies

Peter has a broad experience working with emerging markets across Africa, Europe and Middle East over his career but a particularly in-depth and long standing concentration on South Africa – researching the country’s economy, markets and politics. He advises a wide range of foreign and local investors, from pension funds to hedge funds and companies currently active or considering gaining a presence in South Africa, as well as foreign and local banks – about risks and opportunities within the country.

Attendance is free, but booking is essential. Zoom links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event.

This event is now postponed, please do continue to register and you will be informed as soon as a new date has been organised. The date showing is provisional, and will be confirmed as soon as a new date is finalised.

The economy of Mpumalanga in South Africa has relied on coal mining and coal fired power stations for years, but that has to change. How will this happen?

As we approach COP26, South Africa is in focus for its carbon intensity and for its geographic concentration of the transition in Mpumalanga as a key test case, for how a just and equitable transition can occur.

In this webinar we look beyond the simple environmental climate issues, of which we are all familiar (the ‘E’ in ESG), and instead we shall focus on the ‘S’ – the social aspects in communities which encompasses retraining and reskilling of workers and the encouragement to develop new industries.

The expert panel will be led “in conversation” by Intellidex’s Peter Attard Montalto, Director the SACC and an advisor to banks, development finance institutions and corporates on the policy and political aspects of the Just Energy Transition. Peter will be joined by:

• Mzila Mthenjane – Head of Corporate Affairs for the mining company Exxaro who are deeply involved in thinking about the communities in which they work and how these communities will be affected on the path to net zero
• Prof Wayne Truter, (Associate) and Research Director, University of Pretoria

The event will allow plenty of time for Q&A from audience members.

This event is free but booking is essential. Links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event.