1. issue fourteen • May 2009
NMMU Business School
expands its networks into Africa
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Business School
has expanded its networks into Africa with a successful
application for Membership to the Association of African
Business Schools (AABS).
AABS aims to promote excellence in business and management
education in Africa by supporting graduate capacity building,
collaboration and quality improvement and promoting the collective
interests of its members etc.
NMMU Business School Director, Prof Piet Naudé says: “We are
Former Vodacom founder and Managing Director, Alan Knott-Craig
(right), was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor in Business
Administration from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
at an NMMU graduation ceremony held in April 2009. The NMMU
Business School extends its congratulations to Dr Knott-Craig on this
big achievement. Dr Knott-Craig is pictured here with NMMU Vice
Chancellor, Prof Derrick Swartz
(left) and Director of the NMMU
Business School, Prof Piet
Naudé.
DBA Graduate
very proud that the NMMU Business School was accepted as
a member of the African Association of Business Schools. We
completed the stringent application process between November
last year and February this year, and we have been judged by
AABS to meet all the standards of the Association.
We join AABS as one of 19 business schools from around the
continent, including SA colleagues from GIBS, UCT, Unisa,
Stellenbosch (USB) and Wits. This opens exciting cooperation
possibilities, and is an important step towards our medium term
goal of expanding our international accreditation.”
The Graduate School (previous MBA Unit) once
again produced a top class Doctorate in Business
Administration, Dr Wilhelm Beeken.
Through his thesis entitled ‘A Model for
Sustainable Operational Excellence through
Knowledge Management Practices and Continuous
Improvement Principles’, he has made an original
and valuable contribution to the emerging body
of research on the multi-disciplinary nature of
knowledge management.
“I would recommend the NMMU Business School
to any MBA and DBA student, and wish to share
my personal recommendations with aspiring DBA
students – make sure that you grab the opportu-
nity to study with NMMU Business School, as they
will set your academic future for tomorrow. Stay
focused and ensure you keep a well document-
ed plan handy in achieving your final chapter of
your thesis. Without saying, a DBA is a long-term
commitment – make sure you have the support of
your family and also show them that you respect
and are thankful for their support at every chapter
you’ve mastered,” Dr Beeken said.
NMMU Business School is one of only four
business schools in South Africa who is
accredited to offer the prestigious and sought
after DBA Degree.
Celebrate excellence

2. Graduation celebrations
honour student successes
Top Student Awards were presented to (back from left) Donna-Leigh
Bedford (GMSA LFP), Catherine Campbell-Ferreira (GMSA LDP),
Nomathamsanqa Qalinge (Cadbury Trainee Technical Operator
Certificate Programme), Yolanda Leschinsky (NMBM Ward Councillor
Assistants Programme). Front from left: Samantha Baartman (Kromberg
& Schubert FLP), Karen Shanahan (GMSA GIT), Sharon Dawson (MDP)
Standard Bank, Sipho Motlhala (SAPS Support Programme for Improved
Organisational Performance), Fayroes Rockman (ILP) FNB.
The Business School Leadership Academy produced 15 Management
Development Diploma (MDP) recipients during 2008. The NQF 6 MDP
is a flagship programme at the Business School Leadership Academy
which focuses on developing functional management skills in established
and prospective managers in a variety of industries. Back from left: Fred
Nel (GMSA), Steve Domingo (Guestro Automotive & Forging), Richard
Moss (Ford Credit), Lindie Esmeyer (Parexel International SA). Middle
from left: Hennie van Zyl (Standard Bank), Cynthia Sibanda-Chitengu
(NMMU Business School), Mornay Nielsen (Umicore), Morné le Grange
(Eveready), Vusumzi Simakuhle (Donkin Fans), Ruan Manickum
(Eveready). Front from left: Jerome Williams (Cape of Good Hope
Woolcombers), Unathi Timothy (Dorbyl Automotive Systems), Sharon
Dawson (Standard Bank), Zelda van Tonder (Bay Medical Centre);
Rodney Fredericks (GMSA).
Celebrate success
Congratulations!
Ms Laverne Williams,
Business School Quality
and Accreditation Assistant,
graduated from BA Honours
(Group Dynamics) on
23 April 2009.
Ms Cynthia Sibanda-Chitengu, Senior
Programme Coordinator at the Business School
Leadership Academy, received her Management
Development Diploma with distinction at the
Business School Certificate and Diploma
Ceremony on Tuesday, 5 May 2009.
April and May are months filled with graduation fever as the
University’s Business School produced no less than 186 leadership
certificate recipients and 15 management diploma recipients, 36
MBA graduates and a proud Doctorate in Business Administration.
The Certificate and Diploma Ceremony held at the NMMU South
Campus on Tuesday, 5 May this year included 10 company specific in-
house programmes and 2 skills programmes in addition to the public
programmes that were conducted on the Business School premises
during 2008.
In-house programmes were conducted for the Nelson Mandela Bay
Municipality, Eberspächer SA (Pty)Ltd, Cadbury SA, Goodyear SA (Pty)
Ltd, General Motors SA, Volkswagen SA, Kromberg & Schubert and the
South African Police Service.
“We are very proud of our association and partnerships with all our
corporate clients. Strong leadership is required in a period of change and
with the world of work currently facing one of the most radical periods
of change, those companies who invest in leadership development will
be able to withstand the challenges of these times,” Corporate Services
Manager of the MDC, Joey Staphorst said.
Apart from the excitement of the 15 students graduating with their
Management Development Diploma, the announcement of the annual
MDP Top Student Award indicated a phenomenal trend in events. The
award was made to Sharon Dawson, Branch Manager at the Rink Street
branch of Standard Bank in Port Elizabeth. This is the fourth time that the
award was made to a Standard Bank employee since 2002 and in all cases
the Top Student Awards were made to ladies.
Deputy Director of the Business School’s Leadership Academy (former
MDC), Leon Mouton said that the Business School is extremely proud of
the success of all its students.
“The MDP has been our flagship programme for many years and has prov-
en to be a trendsetter diploma programme in leadership and management
development in the Eastern Cape. More and more woman are taking up the
leadership challenges in our societies and through dedicated study, have
excelled in their own development”, Mr Mouton said.

3. Some things old, some things new in Business School revamp
With new leadership comes great vision,
challenge and often change. The Business
School will be stepping up another notch
with an internal restructuring process
underway.
This project will establish the former MBA
Unit as the new Graduate School whilst
the strengths of the former MDC and SBU
are drawn together to establish a Business
The NMMU Business School received top rankings by the
international organisation, EDUNIVERSAL who ranked the top 1000
business schools in the world out of an estimated 3000+ worldwide.
Rating criteria used to rank the schools include accreditations received
by business schools; rankings in the media; advice from an international
committee consisting of nine experts, each recognised in their own
academic communities as well as internationally and a voting process by
the current or past Deans of prestigious business schools.
Only four business schools made it in the ‘Business Schools with
International Influence Category’ while seven SA business schools
were listed in the ‘Excellent National Strong Business School Category’
in which the NMMU Business School was rated 2nd
after UNISA.
However, business schools also received an overall score based on their
recommendation rate. Here the NMMU Business School was rated 6th
overall with the five largest business schools in South Africa in the first
five places.
Excellent Business
Schools Ranking
Celebrate achievement
Fltr Mr Wallace Beelders, Vodacom Executive Director of Corporate
and Converged Solutions; Prof Kobus Jonker, Graduate School
Director; Mr Kobus van Rensburg, Chairperson: MBA Alumni; Prof
Piet Naudé, Director: NMMU Business School; Ms Korien Sander,
Senior Lecturer; Mr Celestin Ndlovu, Alumni committee member; Dr
Margaret Cullen, Senior Lecturer.
The first four full-time MBA graduates graced the stage, together with
their 32 part-time counterparts, at the NMMU on Thursday, 23 April this
year.
MBA graduates invited
to plough back at exclu-
sive Alumni breakfast
To celebrate the achievements of the first ever full-time MBA
students and their fellow part-time counterparts, and to welcome
them as new members of the MBA Club, the Graduate School hosted
an exclusive Alumni breakfast on Friday, 24 April 2009.
The Vodacom sponsored event, with guest speaker, Vodacom Executive
Director of Corporate and Converged Solutions, Mr Wallace Beelders,
attracted many past students of the University’s MBA and was also
attended by 2009 DBA graduate, Dr Wilhelm Beeken, joining in support
for the newest members of their Alumni Club.
Senior lecturer and DBA graduate of the NMMU Business School, Dr
Margaret Cullen, welcomed the new graduates and invited them to be
part of the MBA Alumni, using it as a platform to persist in their lifelong
learning and to continue ploughing back what they have learnt, in support
of the Business School. “Our future depends on our graduates, because
what you do is an advertisement of what we produce at the Business
School. We are proud of you as it was a long journey, an emotional
journey for you and the Business School.”
Any individuals interested in doing an MBA can visit the website on
www.mbasouthafrica.com for more information.
School Leadership Academy.
Clients, students and other stakeholders of
the NMMU Business School can be assured of
the continued excellence and high operational
standards that they are accustomed to. The
restructuring within the School will enhance
the Business School offerings and will allow
the Graduate School and the Leadership
Academy to align strengths, increase
effectiveness and will permit synergies to be
formed that are strategically aligned to best
serve the business community, our students
and the public at large.
The Business School is also planning to
expand the footprint of the Leadership
Academy in the Southern Cape and Border
Kei regions. Part of this strategy will include
the establishment of a Business School office
in George as a first step.

4. Celebrate relationships
45 Members of Nelson Mandela Metropole Community Based Organisations received certificates
for capacity development training that was conducted by the Business School Small Business
Unit (now part of the Business School Leadership Academy) on 18 February 2009.
Small Business Unit
builds capacity in volunteer organisations
The Business School Small Business Unit
awarded certificates to 45 representatives of
15 Community Based Organisations (CBOs)
in the Nelson Mandela Metropole on Wednes-
day, 18 February 2009.
Capacity building and monitoring took place in
areas such as basic and project management,
communication skills, marketing, administration,
accounting and financial management, includ-
ing skills such as budgeting, applying for finance
and opening bank accounts, making them eligi-
ble to source funding for their operations.
The CBO representatives are all volunteers
working within their communities in conjunction
with local clinics and councilors, assisting
people who are infected or affected by HIV/
AIDS, bedridden, elderly, sick, orphans or those
who have other illnesses such as diabetes, TB
etc. CBO’s also run soup kitchens and conduct
fundraising activities to feed poor children and
sick adults in their communities.
A collaborative partnership between Eden District Municipality and
the NMMU Business School was officiated with the signing of the
agreement on Monday, 4 May 2009. Eden District Municipality appointed
NMMU Business School as the service provider to provide Leadership
Development for Management, Supervisors and other municipal staff
members for a period of three (3) years, which will commence in June
2009. This partnership is an extension of previous processes and falls
within the framework of Eden’s organisational renewal process.
Back from left: Francois Goosen, Eden Project Manager, Japie Strydom, Member of the Eden Leadership Development Committee; Annalene
de Beer, Eden Corporate Services Manager; Joey Staphorst, NMMU Business School Corporate Services Manager; Johan Stander, Head
Financial Officer / Manager Financial Services; Hans Ottervanger, Member of the Eden Leadership Development Committee. Front from left:
Eden Municipal Manager, Godfrey Louw and Leon Mouton, Deputy Director of the NMMU Business School Leadership Academy.
NMMU Business School, Institute for People Management and the Boston
Consulting Group collaborated early in February to bring HR Professionals in Port
Elizabeth the ‘Creating People Advantage’ workshop, facilitated by international
speakers from the Boston Consulting Group, Jens Baier and Carsten von der
Linden from Dusseldorf. From left to right: Mrs Avril Henri (Standard Bank), Mr
Anton Warmenhoven (The Boardwalk), Mrs Kim Makhathini (Standard Bank),
Mr Jens Baier (speaker), Mr Leon Mouton (NMMU Business School) and Mr
Carsten von der Linden (speaker).
Welcoming our new members of staff
Ms Korien Sander
was appointed Senior
Lecturer at the Business
School in January
2009. She conducts
the activities of the Unit
for Professional Ethics,
lectures business ethics
on the MBA, accounting,
financial planning and various other
programmes at NMMU.
Ms Alice
Mnyamana
was appointed
to the position
of Business
School
Receptionist
as from 1 May
2009.
NMMU Business School has
reached the 3000 mark for
people trained on the Service
Excellence Programme. To
date, 5874 individuals have
been trained through the Service
Excellence programme in total.
For more information on how to
get your staff trained, contact
Ilze Strydom on 041 504 4000 or
e-mail: ilze.strydom@nmmu.ac.za