Last week senior representatives from our industry, Government and other key stakeholders convened at the ASISA 2015 Conference in Johannesburg with the aim of reaching that critical tipping point - the point where we fix the holes and start rowing the boat that is SA Inc. in partnership. The two-day Conference, held under the theme “The Tipping Point”, was attended by some 345 delegates.
An important aspect of the Conference was the Expo, themed “The Cutting Edge”. Some 18 exhibitors participated and made good use of the opportunity to interact with decision makers in our industry. The Foster the Future division of ASISA – ASISA Academy, ASISA Foundation and ASISA Enterprise Development Fund – also showcased its achievements for the first time. Five ASISA members put on display some of their financial literacy interventions.
We had hoped that the Conference would facilitate open and honest debate by captains of industry and Government leaders of the challenges facing South Africa. The extreme candour that was present throughout the two days was, however, unprecedented. The keynote speakers and the various panelists said what needed to be said in a frank, yet respectful manner.
As a result we now all know where we stand and what needs to be done and in our view that critical tipping point was indeed reached last week. When we host the next ASISA Conference we should therefore be able to provide delegates with a substantial progress report instead of still charting the way forward.
The Conference was also attended by a number of senior journalists who took the debate beyond the Conference and into the public domain. As a result the ASISA Conference and some of its topics started trending on platforms such as Fin24. A summary by Fin24 of the top 10 reader comments last week resulted in the following headline: “Top 10 comments hit a high note after ASISA”.
We would once again like to thank Minister Ebrahim Patel for opening the Conference and for taking time out of his busy schedule to attend the afternoon session as well. Equally, a huge thank you goes to the keynote speakers who set the tone for the rest of the Conference as well as all the panelists who engaged in open and honest debate on some of the critical challenges facing our country. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, for sharing with delegates his exciting vision for Gauteng. The enthusiasm with which Mr Makhura and his team participated in the Conference was hugely encouraging.
The speeches and presentations that were made available to us can be downloaded from the ASISA web site - click here.
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