BLSA to address W Cape's difficulty to attract black talent - Mohale

Cape Town - The difficulty for the Western Cape to attract and keep "senior black talent" is one of the issues to be tackled by the newly launched Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) chapter in the Western Cape, according to BLSA CEO Bonang Mohale.

He was speaking at the launch of the Cape Town branch on Tuesday, after the Stellenbosch branch was launched on Monday evening.

"Why is 22% of senior management in the Western Cape still white? We must talk openly about these issues, otherwise the Cape becomes an enclave of its own," said Mohale.

"It seems if you are white and male and made your money in Gauteng, you come and enjoy the quality of life in the Cape. There is so much potential in the Western Cape to be applied for the good of all."

He emphasised that business in South Africa is called upon to play an important role.

"If we really care about the sustainability of the economy, we must look at transformation and job creation - especially for the youth," he said.

"We unashamedly represent big business - also known as 'white monopoly capital'. The new BLSA strategy is focused on partnerships and inclusivity."

• READ: BBC, BLSA ‘merger’ talks delayed

He said a few years ago at Davos it looked like SA had lost its "shine or its mojo" in the eyes of investors - especially after former president Jacob Zuma fired Pravin Gordhan as finance minister "to aid state capture".

Post-Cyril SA on right track forward

"This year at Davos it was different. Cyril (Ramaphosa) was upbeat and South Africa came back with different big deals. We showed the world that South Africa has changed and is on the right road forward," said Mohale.

He cautioned, however, that on the recent roadshow undertaken by SA Inc investors indicated they still doubt whether the country can execute the reforms indicated in Budget 2018.

Concerns were also raised about the financial situation of state-owned enterprises like Eskom and South African Airways. Investors also do not believe the country's economy will be able to grow at 3%.

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