Earlier today, Executive Education participants, staff and industry partners gathered at The Roots Venue in Potchefstroom to celebrate the achievements of the NWU Business School’s Executive Education participants.
The certificate function recognised not only academic success, but also the resilience, sacrifices and determination required to balance studies with full-time professional commitments. Serving as MC for the occasion, Ms Tebello Msimanga from the NWU Business School reminded participants that their certificates represent invested time, effort and a willingness to grow.
The spirit of resilience became a recurring theme throughout the day. Following Bafana Bafana’s match the previous evening, speakers reflected on the uniquely South African ability to remain hopeful and united, even when outcomes do not go as planned. Despite the disappointment of the result, the pride and support shown by South Africans remained unwavering – a reminder that perseverance, optimism and the courage to keep going are often what define success.
Much like the Executive Education journey itself, progress is rarely linear and setbacks are inevitable. Yet growth comes from continuing to learn, adapt and move forward together.
Addressing the guests, Professor Joseph Sekhampu, Chief Director of the NWU Business School, encouraged participants to reflect on why they had embarked on their studies in the first place. “The most valuable investment you will ever make is investing in yourself,” he said. He challenged them to remain curious and embrace lifelong learning, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence. “You cannot replace curiosity with artificial intelligence. Growth will always be a choice.”
Professor Sekhampu urged participants not to view the ceremony as the end of their journey, but rather as a milestone. “What’s next?”
He also highlighted the NWU Business School’s prestigious BGA and AMBA accreditation status – an achievement shared by only a handful of business schools globally – while acknowledging the valued partnership between the School and Sanlam.
The longstanding collaboration between the NWU Business School and Sanlam reflects the importance of partnerships in developing future-ready leaders. By combining academic excellence with industry insight, such partnerships create meaningful opportunities for working professionals to continue learning, growing and making an impact within their organisations and communities.
Keynote speaker Pieter Geldenhuys, futurist and Founder of the Institute for Technology Strategy and Innovation (ITSI), challenged participants to think differently about the future. Exploring global megatrends, technological change and Africa’s opportunities, he encouraged them to become active participants in shaping what comes next.
Building on the words of acclaimed author William Gibson, who observed that “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed,” Geldenhuys reminded participants that innovation is often less about predicting what lies ahead and more about recognising emerging opportunities and harnessing them to create meaningful change.
The future-focused discussions continued with Mr Alfred Banda, Regional General Manager at Sanlam, whose presentation, Money Mindset: What Data Tells Us, explored how our beliefs and behaviours around money influence long-term success and financial wellbeing. He encouraged participants to make intentional choices and to continue investing in their personal and professional growth.
The thought-provoking presentations were followed by the awarding of certificates across the Executive Education programmes. After a networking lunch, one of the highlights of the day was the announcement of the programmes’ top performers by Mr Tiaan van Jaarsveld and his team.
The Programmes’ Top Performers:
Fundamental Management Programme – Alexandra Susana Parsons
Middle Management Programme – Ruan Ferreira
Advanced Management Programme – Otto Viljoen
The NWU Business School congratulates all participants on this well-deserved achievement and extends its sincere thanks to the Sanlam team, the guest speakers and everyone who contributed to making the day memorable.
Their achievements stand as a testament to the power of lifelong learning, resilience and the courage to embrace new opportunities.
After all, today’s certificate is not the finish line.
It is the beginning of what’s next.
