A t the end of August 2011, accelerate Cape Town – the business think tank and catalyst – marked two years of proactive engagement in making Cape Town welcoming and accessible to young professionals. During the eighth Inspiration Sessions at the One&Only Cape Town, more than 200 participants heard from Bridgette Radebe, executive chair of Mmakau Mining, as she issued a strong challenge to them not to rely on others for advancement, but to seize the many opportunities available to them in the city.

The Inspiration Sessions, launched two years ago by Accelerate Cape Town and Allan Gray, seek to address retention of talent of young and particularly black professionals in Cape Town and surrounding areas. Two years later, these sessions have enabled hundreds of young professionals to build networks and find business mentors in the Mother City.

In a candid, outspoken and humorous account of her life, Radebe spoke about her rural childhood and her experiences as the first black and female mine owner in the hostile male-dominated South African mining industry of the 1980s.

Addressing the question of fitting into and making a success of life in Cape Town, she told her audience to work on cultivating a can-do attitude in business and in life, and to avoid blaming their environment or other people for not attaining their goals.

Offering some “unconventional wisdom”, she said her secrets to success were to find a niche, to work hard even if it meant working through the night, to “know your story” in your line of work, never to think that something could not be done, to always be well groomed, and to surround oneself with positive people.

“Life is a journey. I don’t see barriers – I see opportunities. I don’t see difficulty and I don’t work with people who see difficulty,” Radebe said while joking that her personal assistants struggle to keep up with her energy.

She encouraged her audience to enjoy living and working in Cape Town: “Cape Town is a wonderful city. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”

During a question-and-answer session, Radebe, a firm African National Congress supporter, said she pitied ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema because he had potential, but needed guidance.

Referring to the nationalisation of mines and her reason for getting into mining – to make it more equitable and sustainable – she said: “I’m an economic activist and a compassionate capitalist. The youth must be mentored.”

In closing, Radebe told the young people in the audience to read Nelson Mandela’s poem, “A Long Walk to Freedom”, and to live by that credo.

Background

The session was co-sponsored by Allan Gray and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Lele Mehlomakulu, head of human resources at Allan Gray, says: “The Inspiration Sessions have been about wanting to participate in making this a great city. The time for whingeing has gone; we need to act, rather than just talk.

“It has been so good to see young people coming to this same realisation, and participating in these events. The Inspiration Sessions have grown from strength to strength, and it has been particularly encouraging to see networks being formed which are active outside the sessions themselves,” she adds.

Duncan Adriaans of PricewaterhouseCoopers concurs: “PWC is proud to be associated with these events. We are committed to Cape Town, and to growing the talent pool here.”

Accelerate Cape Town chief executive officer Guy Lundy echoed the sentiment: “Given the time span over which the Inspiration Sessions have now been taking place, the ever growing database, and the positive responses from attendees, we are confident that this is an initiative that goes well beyond simply talking about a problem, and is genuinely starting the process, from business’s side, of finding a solution.”

Accelerate Cape Town represents 45 of the largest corporations in the Cape. To find a list of members, visit www.acceleratecapetown.co.za/our-members.

Accelerate Cape Town has had overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, who see these events as unique networking opportunities.

Origins of the Inspiration Sessions

Starting off with 40 members two years ago, Accelerate Cape Town now has more than 1 000 young professionals on its Inspiration Sessions database. This group represents around 350 companies, from the largest corporations to small companies and entrepreneurs, and includes city and provincial employees.

The Inspiration Sessions have proven so popular that there is a rotational invitation system to give everyone on the database the chance to attend the event regularly. The Inspiration Sessions Linkedin and Facebook groups have boomed over the past few months.

The business community in Cape Town has rallied enthusiastically around the core concept of these Inspiration Sessions.

A number of organisations have now joined founding sponsor, Allan Gray, as co-sponsors, including Nedbank, Old Mutual, PwC and Philip Morris.

The Inspiration Sessions were designed to address four key needs that were raised by young professionals in 2009:

1. To feel welcome in the region;

2. To meet their contemporaries and build networks;

3. To find mentors who could provide insights into some of the unique challenges they faced; and

4. To be introduced to some of the locations that have led to the Cape’s glamorous reputation.

The Inspiration Sessions are always in desirable locations. The guest list is compiled to ensure networking opportunities between a peer group of young professionals, across all demographics, are maximised with a proportion of new attendees at each session.

To date, each event has played host to a charismatic speaker who has used stories from his or her own life to provide insights into his/her achieving personal and professional success. These speakers have included:

• Sindi Magona: Author

• Uyanda Mbuli: Marketing communications specialist

• Sello Moloko: Businessman

• Nozipho January-Bardill: Head of corporate communications at MTN

• Enos Banda: Businessman

• Mondli Makhanya: Editor-in-chief of Avusa Media

• Gerald Mahinda: Managing director of brandhouse

• Bridgette Radebe: Executive chair of Mmakau Mining

Testimonials

Liezel Kruger-Fountain, who works at City of Cape Town, had this to say: “I think the Inspiration Sessions are a great way for people to connect. Cape Town is seen as being snobbish, but these events prove that if you’re prepared to get out there and meet people, you can make connections.

“I love that the people attending are all interesting and funky or creative – they’re really inspiring. They really give you access to all kinds of different perspectives.

“I also enjoy the fact that there are people speaking positively about things, about what’s out there and showing that opportunities exist for those who are prepared to get out there and try.

“The venues, the food and the music are all top-notch, and make you feel special when you attend. You really want to be part of the sessions.”

Rashid Toefy, CEO of the Cape Town International Convention Centre, said that what stood out for him was the diversity of people attending – not merely in terms of demographics, but also in terms of background. There were people from all over South Africa, and beyond; and it struck him that the Inspiration Sessions may be unique in getting together a collection of young professionals such as these.

www.acceleratecapetown.co.za