An investment from the Wholesale and Retail Seta (W&R) has resulted in the establishment of the Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair at CPUT.

The chair, which is based in the Faculty of Business is the only of its kind in South Africa and is set to drive research and contribute to the development of professionalism in the wholesale and retail sector.

Recently Chairman of the W&R SETA Board Dr Thami Mazwai met with a CPUT delegation to discuss the work that will be done by the chair.

Mazwai says the chair is crucial and must contribute to the development of the sector, which plays a key role in the South African economy as a major employer.

Currently this sector is the fourth largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product and employs approximately 22% of the total workforce of the country.

“The W&R SETA is committed to this chair and is excited for the partnership with CPUT,” says Mazwai.

Chair holder, Prof Jacobus Steyn, commended W&R SETA for driving the establishment of the chair and for partnering with CPUT.

“The initiative taken by the W&R Seta to establish a research chair should be applauded. The research programme will benefit industry and assist the W&R Seta in its endeavors to address critical skills shortages,” says Steyn.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Chris Nhlapo, says the chair will also help CPUT bridge the chasm between academia and the small business sector.

Nhlapo says CPUT focuses on applied research which can contribute to the development and growth of the country’s small business sector.

Written by Candes Keating
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Wholesale &Retail (W&R) SETA CEO Joel Dikgole had some sobering words for Faculty of Business graduates today. In his address to the latest crop of graduates from the Entrepreneurship, Event Management, Retail Business Management, Real Estate and Sport Management Departments, Dikgole drew attention to the scourge of poverty and unemployment in South Africa.

“With unemployment running at 25% and service delivery protests happening with alarming regularity, graduates must come up with innovative solutions to tackle these challenges.” Dikgole says that no country in the world can overcome such social ills without investing in skills development and education of all its citizens, as countries like Singapore, Japan and Korea did to become the economic giants they are today.

Dikgole’s sentiments were made a reality recently when the W&R SETA invested over R11 million to establish Africa’s first Wholesale & Retail (W&R) Leadership Chair in Africa, to be based at the CPUT. It is a direct result of the SETA’s initiative to cooperate with universities to encourage the production of academic and applied research in this sector of business.

Another highlight of today’s ceremony was the awarding The Vice Chancellor’s Medal to Nyasha Felistas Chikovo. Nyasha, who hails from Zimbabwe, registered for her National Diploma in Retail Business Management in 2010. She achieved distinctions in 28 out of the 30 modules she completed in her National Diploma and BTech degrees.

Graduates from the Building, Chemical Engineering, Cartography, Civil Engineering, Surveying, Construction Management and Quantity Surveying Departments are set to receive their diplomas and degrees this evening. The graduates are all from the Faculty of Engineering, who will be hosting this eight graduation ceremony on the Bellville campus.

Written by Janyce Weintrob
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In line with its strategy of going from good to great, CPUT has launched the first Wholesale & Retail (W&R) Leadership Chair in Africa.

The chair was established as a result of the W&R SETA's initiative to co-operate with universities to encourage the production of academic and applied research in this sector of business. The chair is fully funded by SETA to the tune of over R11 million.

Speaking at the launch earlier this week CPUT Vice-Chancellor Dr Prins Nevhutalu told the audience the institution was breaking new ground and changing the business scene.

The chair is Prof Roger Mason, who is expected to lead the university in curriculum development and help ensure that small businesses end up as big enterprises.

Mason told the audience his duties will bring South Africa in line with international practices in retail research and education.

“The Retail Department provides the W&R sector with a pool of national and international graduates that meets the sector’s demographic profile and development needs to develop their businesses, including expanding into Africa,” says Mason.

Delivering the keynote address, Zukile Mvalo, Acting Deputy Director at the Department of Higher Education and Training says he was happy with the tasks for chair as the National Skills Fund is meant to address the country’s critical skills shortages.

The invitation for the chair was put out to tender to all South African universities but was awarded to CPUT partly because the university is the largest centre for retail training in Africa. Its Retail Department has more than 800 students from National diploma level up to Doctoral degree level.

Besides publishing research articles in scholarly journals and industry publications, the chair builds an international collaboration network with industry, international universities and established retail research centres.

For more information about the activities of the chair visit its website.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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