Members of the NMU Family Business Unit and Business Management’s Dr Welcome Kupangwa and Professors Shelley Farrington and Elmarie Venter received the Best Paper Runner-up Award for their paper on “Transgenerational value transmission: Socialisation mechanisms in indigenous African business-owning families” during the recent 16th International Business Conference (IBC 2023), which was hosted in Swakopmund, Namibia. 

 

Prof Elmarie Venter, on behalf of her co-authors, Dr Welcome Kupangwa and Prof Shelley Farrington, attended the annual IFERA Conference in Kraków, Poland, which was hosted by the 6-8 July Jagiellonion University, during 6-8 July. 

 

Prof Shelley Farrington was invited to present at the Student Entrepreneurship Practitioners Indaba, which took place on the 29th and 30th of June, 2023.

 

Dr Welcome Kupangwa was invited to a virtual engagement session on the 12th of July, which the Nelson Mandela University International Office organised in collaboration with the Centre for Entrepreneurship at NHL Stenden University of Applied Science in the Netherlands. 

 

Members of Mandela University’s Family Business Unit (FBU) and Department of Business Management, Prof Shelley Farrington, Prof Elmarie Venter and Dr Welcome Kupangwa (Postdoctoral Fellow), met with Mr Raymond Mutura at Nelson Mandela University from the 12th to the 23rd of June.

Members of the Family Business Unit meet with Belgian academics to discuss future collaboration opportunities. 

Dr Welcome Kupangwa was invited to contribute to the advancement of learning and teaching in his capacity as a Teaching Enhancement Programme alumni and a valuable contributor to the success of the students at Nelson Mandela University by presenting his teaching reflection at the Early Career Academics Advancement Programme (ECAAP) In-House Symposium.

Prof Venter, on behalf of Dr Welcome Kupangwa and Prof Shelley Farrington, presented their paper titled “Values as informal institutions: the interaction between indigenous black South African family businesses and the community” at the 5th International Family Business Research Forum 2022 in Hasselt, Belgium, from 27 to 29 September 2022.

Prof Elmarie Venter presented a paper on “A South African perspective on family foundations and trusts” during the 5th International Law and Management Conference, which was held at the Max Planck Institute of Law and Management in Hamburg, Germany from 22-23 September 2022.

Three members of the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit and their respective students presented papers during the recent 33rd Southern African Institute of Management Scientists (SAIMS) conference. The conference was held at Mpekweni Beach Resort from 11 to 13 September 2022 and was hosted by the Rhodes University Department of Business Management.

The Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit (FBU) recently co-hosted the 3rd Annual African Family Business Research Conference, in collaboration with African Family Firms (AFF).

The Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit and African Family Firms would like to invite interested scholars in the field of African Family Business to participate in the 3rd Annual African Family Business Research Conference (AFBRC), which will be hosted virtually from the 10th to the 12th of August 2022.

We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Dr Jackie Palframan, who graduated at the recent April 2022 graduation ceremony with a PhD in Business Management!

Prof Shelley Farrington of the Nelson Mandela University and Family Business Unit was a keynote speaker at the First Global Entrepreneurship Catalyst Symposium 2022, held from 26-27 February.

On 17 November 2021, Prof Elmarie Venter of the Family Business Unit, together with Prof Johan Willemse, an Agricultural Economist, presented a two-hour webinar to discuss the economic outlook for 2022 for different parts of the Agricultural sector in South Africa.

On 26 October 2021, Prof Elmarie Venter, Director of the Family Business Unit, was a co-host and speaker at a recent Family Business Webinar, themed: ‘Your Family Business: Re-set, Re-align, Re-ignite’.

Prof Elmarie Venter and Prof Shelley Farrington from the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit, and Mr Alan Barr of KPMG South Africa, presented a paper at the annual International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA) 2021 Conference.

Prof Elmarie Venter from the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit presented a two-hour webinar to the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), on 22 September 2021.

On Wednesday, 8 September 2021, Prof Elmarie Venter of the Nelson Mandela Family Business Unit was part of a 90-minute long women’s panel discussion and broadcast, themed: Women making an impact in business, entrepreneurship and society.

Prof Elmarie Venter and Prof Shelley Farrington of the Department of Business Management and members of the Nelson Mandela University FBU presented joint research papers at the recent SAIMS and IBC conferences, respectively.

The Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit (FBU) recently hosted the 2nd Annual African Family Business Research Conference, in collaboration with African Family Firms (AFF).

Prof Elmarie Venter (Director of the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit) participated in the latest edition of the Transcontinental Trusts: International Forum 2021 Conference.

Prof Elmarie Venter represented the Nelson Mandela University and Family Business Unit (FBU) as a speaker and panellist during the recent Cross Border Planning: International 2021 Conference Europe, Middle-East, Asia and Africa.

The Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit and African Family Firms would like to invite interested scholars in the field of African Family Business to participate in the 2nd Annual African Family Business Research Conference (AFBRC), which will be hosted virtually from the 9th to the 13th of August 2021.

The Nelson Mandela Family Business Unit for the first time was part of the African Family Business BarometerEmbracing innovation for a new reality in Africa, which this year was done in collaboration with KPMG and the Africa CEO Forum.

On 20 October 2020, Mrs Palframan (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business Management and member of the Family Business Unit at Nelson Mandela University) was hosted by Cover Magazine for a short interview regarding professionalism in the financial planning industry and the role of formal qualifications.

Prof Venter was a panellist during the third session of the KPMG Webinar Family Business Conference on 21 October 2020. 

All things have seasons and as I write this message, so to has my time at Nelson Mandela University and the Family Business Unit.

It is with great pleasure that we wish to congratulate Dr Tony Matchaba-Hove, on successfully obtaining his PhD during the April 2020 graduation period. 

Prof Shelley Farrington, Prof Elmarie Venter and Mr Welcome Kupangwa, who are members of the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit (FBU) participated in the first virtual Family Business Research and Practice Conference on 26 May 2020.

Nelson Mandela University’s Family Business Unit, together with African Family Firms, hosted the first virtual African Family Business Research Conference from 10 to 14 August 2020. The free five-day digital event was co-chaired by the Family Business Unit’s Prof Elmarie Venter and African Family Firms’ Tsitsi Mutendi.

Prof Venter was a presenter at the recent Annual South African Accounting Association (SAAA) Conference which was co-organised by Old Mutual on 14 September 2020.

Prof Venter participated in the EDHE Lekgotla 2020. The event was held online during the week of 14-18 September 2020.

Prof Venter of the School of Management Sciences and Acting Director of the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit, was one of eight speakers who participated in the AGRI2B Summit 2020 that was held on 6 October 2020. 

Prof Venter was invited as a high-level expert to present and coordinate a workshop during the Africa CEO Forum Family Business Summit 2020. This virtual event took place on 1-2 October 2020, with some of the most well-known family business owners and influencers in attendance. 

The Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit presented its seventh successful Family Business Consultant Short Learning Programme from 24-27 January 2019 at the PWC Head office, Waterfall City, Johannesburg.

 

Based on her doctoral studies Mrs Jackie Palframan presented a paper at the 12th International Business Conference (IBC) which was held in Mauritius in September 2018. 

Prof Elmarie Venter received a C1 rating from the National Research Foundation for the period 2018-2023.  Her rating was based on eight international and national review reports.  Prof Venter is the only one in the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences who has received an NRF rating since 2017.  

Prof Farrington and Prof Venter attended the Annual International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA) Conference which was held in Zadar, Croatia, from 30 June to 2 July. 

Prof Venter presented a Summerschool on Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice in Utrecht, the Netherlands during the week of 3-7 July 2017.  

Prof Elmarie Venter, Prof Shelley Farrington and Mr Tony Matchaba-hove of the Nelson Mandela University FBU conducted their second STEP case study interviews among the family members of the well-known Stucky Motors. The family owns and manages the Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Chrysler Franchise Dealerships in Newcastle, Volksrust and Piet Retief in Kwazulu-Natal. 

Prof Elmarie Venter was the keynote speaker during Sanlam’s Women Days in Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay on 24 and 25 May.  Her topic was, “Strategies on how women can achieve work-life balance”.  

Mr Tony Matchaba-Hove attended the inaugural STEP (Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices) Global Academic Conference hosted by Babson College in Boston, USA.

Prof Venter presented a family business workshop for GALILEO Capital on challenges facing family businesses, succession and transgenerational success and governance at Galileo Capital Head Office, Hyde Park, Johannesburg from 2 - 3 November 2016.

Prof Elmarie Venter attended the KPMG Family Business Conference which was held from 14 - 15 September 2016 in Umhlanga, Durban.

Professor Shelley Farrington and Mr Abdul-Gasiep Jappie recently attended the 2016 South African Institute of Management Sciences (SAIMS) conference hosted by the University of Pretoria.

Did you know that Volkswagen is a family-owned business, with the Porsche family owning more than 30% of the company’s shares, and that the Walton family owns more than half the shares of United States retail giant Wal-Mart?

Prof Elmarie Venter was one of more than 100 women nominated by their peers to participate in the 2016 Businesswomen's Association of South Africa's Regional Business Achiever Awards.

Lecturers from the Department of Business Management attended the 8th International Business Conference held in Namibia.

Lecturers from the School of Management Sciences attended the 26th SAIMS Annual Conference hosted by the University of Johannesburg.

Lecturers from the Department of Business Management namely: Prof Eileen Mazibuko, Prof Sandra Perks, Prof Elroy Smith, Ms Nadine Oosthuizen, Mr Tony Matchaba-Hove and Mr Xolile Antoni, presented papers at various international conferences.

 

The 27th Annual SAIMS Conference was held from 30 August 2015 - 01 September 2015. The conference was hosted by the University of Cape Town.

Four Business Management lecturers won best paper awards at the International Business Conference (IBC) held in Zambia, 20 - 23 September 2015.

The NMMU Family Business Unit hosted its fourth successful Family Business Consultant Short Learning Programme from 16-18 November 2015 at the North Campus Conference Center in Port Elizabeth.

Business Management lecturers, Prof Chantal Rootman, Dr Janine Kruger and Mr Tony Matchaba-Hove won the Best Paper Award at the 3rd Business and Management Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal from 22 - 25 March 2016.
Three members of the Family Business Unit were recognised for their excellent contributions to Research, Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences.
Mr Tony Matchaba-Hove was named as the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences Emerging Researcher of the Year.
During the week of the 9th - 13th of May 2016, Department of Business Management lecturer, Ms Shelley Saunders, visited Hochschule Osnabruck in Germany to present lectures entitled: Marketing Communication: A Dynamic Global Environment.
The NMMU Family Business Unit successfully presented its fifth Family Business Consultant Short Learning Programme from 10-12 May 2016 at the KPMG Head Office in Johannesburg.
Prof Elmarie Venter, Director of the NMMU Family Business Unit, was invited to participate in a discussion forum on family businesses and family farming that took place in front of a live studio audience during the NAMPO Agricultural Show that took place from the 17th till the 20th of May 2016.
On the 10th and 11th May Professor Shelley Farrington attended the STEP (Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices) Academic Meeting in Zwolle, the Netherlands.

The Family Business Unit was featured in the business supplement of The Herald newspaper in November 2015. Click on the link below for a PDF copy of the article.

Family Business Unit in The Herald
 

 

 

The NMMU has identified 13 general research themes that are supported by the institution in terms of funding and institutional support. One of these themes is:  “Sustainable local economic development”.  Entrepreneurship, SMMEs and family businesses is one of the 5 sub-themes under this main research theme, emphasising again the importance of entrepreneurship and family businesses as research focus areas in South Africa. 

It was a historic day for South African universities who came together from across South Africa to Benoni to launch a national university body to develop the country’s universities as entrepreneurship and innovation centres.  This is a significant initiative to reduce poverty through stimulating our universities as hotbeds of innovation and entrepreneurship.  Two colleagues from the Department of Business Management at the NMMU, Prof Elmarie Venter and Prof Shelley Farrington, represented the university at this workshop.

NMMU School of Management Sciences is pleased and privileged to host guest lecturer Professor Pramodita Sharma from The University of Vermont.

 Prof Pramodita Sharma visited the NMMU this week as a guest of the NMMU Family Business Unit, housed in the School of Management Sciences.  Professor Sharma is the Sanders Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Business, University of Vermont, and the Global Director of the STEP project, Babson College, as well as the Editor-in-Chief, Family Business Review.

 

Prof Elmarie Venter, Director of the NMMU Family Business Unit, visited the Netherlands from 9-12 October. 

The School of Management Sciences Family Business Unit will be hosting Prof Saras Sarasvathy during the week of 9 – 13 June 2014.

The Family Business Unit, together with members of the Gutsche Family, as well as academics from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, enjoyed a lovely evening together at the GFI Art Gallery on 5 March 2015.

Undertaking thorough market research and knowing your customers is a vital aspect of business success. Two guest speakers, Kevin Abrahams and Ross Flood recently highlighted this to the first year business management students.

Prof Elmarie Venter is the Faculty of Business and Economic Science's Researcher of the Year for 2014. She was also the Faculty's Researcher of the Year in  2010 and the Emerging Researcher of the Year in 2007.

Prof Venter presented a Summerschool on Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice in Utrecht, the Netherlands, during the week of 6 - 10 July 2015.

Two lecturers from the Department of Business Management were honoured at the NMMU's annual Research and Teaching Award function which was held at The Boardwalk on 15 September 2015.

Prof Elmarie Venter attended the Annual International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA) Conference which was held in Hamburg, 30 June - 2 July 2015.

Prof Venter of the Department of Business Management and School of Management Sciences, together with Prof Chris Adendorff, Adjunct Professor at the NMMU Business School, attended the 12th European Families in Business Conference which was held in Rome, Italy at the St Regis Hotel on 23-24 June 2015.

Prof Elmarie Venter of the School of Management Sciences was invited by die Nyenrode Business School in the Netherlands to teach various topics to Indian students from the S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research during a Family Business Course during the week of 1 - 5 June 2015.

KPMG, in association with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Family Business Unit, hosted its first one day Family Business Conference for members of family businesses to discuss some of the challenges they face.  The topics discussed were leadership transition (succession), managing governance in a family business and how family businesses can expand into Africa. 

On Thursday evening, 12 June 2014, The School of Management Sciences Family Business Unit in collaboration with the Regional Innovation Forum, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber and NMMU Business School hosted an interactive event on:  “How to create Entrepreneurial Success in a Volatile Environment: A New Approach.”

The School of Management Sciences Family Business Unit was proud to host renowned world-class speaker and researcher, Professor Saras Sarasvathy, from Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.

Prof Elmarie Venter, from the Department of Business Management, attended The Annual Family Enterprise Case Competition (FECC), which was held from January 8-11, in Burlington, Vermont, as well as the Price-Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators, held during January 12 – 16 in Boston, USA.