In our just released 5th edition, we dwell on the ‘What’, ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of this huge gap between what goes on in the classroom (theory) and what obtains in the real-world. The aim: to wish you a happy New Year -2018, with yet, another set of insightful ideas that would power your career, faster!

The Cover Story (pg. 18), profiles The CharterQuest Future CFOs and Business Leaders 2017 champions; four (4) students from University of Münster (Germany) and four (4) from the Westville Boys’ High School (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa). They flew into Johannesburg to compete -and left with the trophies, plus R150, 000 cash prize! But, who exactly are these students -turned future leaders? How did they prove it? And, what does this mean for their careers? This main story, together with our Unsung Heroes and Heroines (pg. 26), profiles the High School Principal and the Accounting Teacher behind their success -and the Events review section (pg. 34), will leave you mouth-watering! The show is rapidly becoming an ‘Idols’ in the education space, airing across Africa, on Mindset DSTV’s Channel 319, amongst others (pg. 37). 

In The MBA Decision (pg. 08), we controversially argue that you should not do an MBA if (1) you have to delay a professional qualification in order to do so; (2) you will be specialising; and (3) your undergraduate degree is in a business management field. In From Theory To Practice (pg. 10), we distinguish between ‘deductive’ and ‘inductive’ reasoning in appreciating the profound disconnect between classroom theory and the real-world, and underline 3 key presumptions to help you manage the transition: the ‘rationale man headache’, the ‘ceteris paribus fallacy’ and ‘the perfect world rubbish.’

In Finance and Entrepreneurial Acumen (pg. 32), we profile Busisiwe Mavuso, 39, COO (and CEO Designate of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) –and, recently appointed Non-Executive Director of Eskom. If you are an aspirational black child from a poor background, her career journey has plenty to inspire yours: she passed matric but could not finance university studies (Thank God! Free tertiary  education may resolve this for many) –so, she got a job, enrolled part-time with UNISA, and built her career from the bottom-up: Bookkeeper –to Accountant -to CFO -to MD -to COO -to Eskom Director. 

We argue that her career journey is 2 steps forward and 1 step backwards –she denies! Why? She is CEO Designate of the leading business advocacy body in the country –BLSA, and she is set to take centre stage, her characteristic fight for better black executive representation in the country! And she has only just begun! 

Have a joy ride with ‘The Future CFO’, The More You Know, the more informed your Business Career Decisions.