SOUTH AFRICA SPECIAL REPORT
seeking international accreditation. Some have collaborated to co-deliver executive education programmes for a single corporate client, in joint research fundraising with international academic partners, to address a societal problem in their region, or in reciprocal tuition benefits for sta at other schools. The depth and frequency of these arrangements underscores the degree to which the schools see themselves as contributing to the development and improvement of world-class business education in South Africa – not only for the benefit of the schools themselves, but for the community at large. Beyond the country’s borders, South African business schools have been committed to advancing business education on the rest of the continent. They have played key roles in the establishment and ongoing leadership of the Association of African Business Schools (founded in 2004), the UN Principles of Responsible Management Education Africa Chapter (founded in 2020) and the establishment of Business Schools for Climate Leadership Africa in 2022. In 2013 the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM) partnered with the Academy of Management (AoM), its parent organisation, to host the AoM global conference in Africa at GIBS, and AFAM will return to South Africa – hosted by Stellenbosch – next year. Earlier this year, Stellenbosch hosted the Gender, Work & Organisation Conference, with UCT academics forming a key part of the scientific committee. Reflecting the spirit of the Rainbow Nation, the local and pan-African associations to which South African business schools belong are founded on principles of inclusivity and empowerment. Operating as equals, schools within these associations have an opportunity to engage both locally and globally to shift policy, create new approaches and generate and share insights relevant well beyond the African continent. Despite their competitive history and complex environment, collaboration – driven by a logic of intellectual abundance and a deep respect for equality – thrives among South African business schools. AMBA’s South African business schools have huge potential, but it is far from plain sailing for them. They are faced with local bureaucracy and national regulations for accreditation of programme changes and renewals that do not always move at the speed of the market. At the same time, competition from global-brand business schools and new entrants to the higher education market are challenging the online space for national schools. In addition, the intricacies of the national visa process make serving international students and recruiting academic talent potentially di cult. Moreover, the quality of nationally produced graduates results in a ready supply of talent, while the unique nature of the South African story provides a rich destination for international students and global partners. In this
The challenges of the continent drive innovation within and between South African MBA programmes. The continent’s enormous size and poor infrastructure have long meant African managers must be able to work in distributed teams – across multiple time zones, countries and di erent cultural contexts – and several business schools in the country had made substantial investments into hybrid delivery even before the pandemic. The triple-crown accredited schools have each developed their own intellectual culture and focus within this broader environment. Stellenbosch Business School o ers master’s degrees related to foresight and coaching, for instance, while Cape Town homes in on innovation and sustainability and GIBS focuses on international business, strategy and change management. Domestically focused schools and for-profit providers complete the sector, playing a key role in producing responsible, ethical and adaptive business leaders and serving the country’s broad transformational goals. A culture of collaboration In recent years, South African business schools have collaborated at macro, meso and micro level to address the operational and strategic challenges and opportunities of the African region. Within the country, business schools collaborate through the South African Business Schools Association (SABSA), which was founded in 2004 and has grown to represent the vast majority of the country’s business schools. Quite unusually, the organisation allows deans and faculty from business schools of di erent types and in di erent areas of the country to collaborate and share expertise in critical areas such as workload models, publication strategies, case method teaching and best practices in the supervision of master’s and doctoral students. Facing shared challenges of resource constraints and shared goals for impact and development, this cooperation allows South African business schools to navigate the country’s complex environment. The association also provides a forum that allows its members to engage the South African government and regulatory bodies on points of common interest. In a recent example, SABSA worked with the primary regulator for the sector to develop a more adaptive programme accreditation process that will allow business schools to innovate within their programmes more rapidly in response to their dynamic operating environment. A long commitment to continuous improvement by the country’s business schools, coupled with a strongly collaborative ethos, appears to have reassured regulators that more systematic involvement by schools will enhance quality and oversight within the sector, rather than eroding it. This type of pro-social
collaboration can yield dividends beyond the industry, positioning South Africa at the forefront of business school innovation. This spirit of collaboration extends to bilateral partnerships. South African business schools often share advice and best practices with other schools
context, the country’s business schools remain a flagship for higher education both nationally and on the continent, which serves as a source of influence in a key geographical region of the world economy.
Ambition OCTOBER 2023 | 29
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