The last quarter of the year is always accompanied by an increased sense of urgency – and 2009 certainly offers no exception. If anything there is greater pressure on businesses to remain buoyant, on employees to multi-task, on students to ensure that they succeed in the up-coming exams, on governments to agree on an efficient response to global warming, and on ordinary South Africans to overcome the effects of the global economic crisis.  Fortunately, as we all know, challenges also serve a positive purpose in that they help to direct our focus, ensuring that we become both more efficient and innovative in our approach to finding solutions – and in doing the right things right!

On this note I would like to wish all students and learners, especially the matrics, every success in their preparations for the year-end exams. South Africa needs well-skilled, capable human resources, and I am confident that our youth will embrace every opportunity to enhance their capacity to become active contributors to growing our country and its economy.

As we approach the festive season, I would again like to appeal to South Africa’s retailers and the business community at large to make a special effort to source locally-produced products and services; and to make it easy for customers to recognise homegrown products – to Buy Local!   In this way we, as responsible citizens, will all contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of local enterprises and the building of a more inclusive economy that benefits all South Africans.

Working together, we can certainly do more, as South Africa’s President, Mr. Jacob Zuma recently reiterated at Nedlac’s 14th Annual Summit. And attendees have certainly shown their commitment to the Buy Local campaign, with more than 200 representatives of organised business, organised labour, government and the community constituency present at the Summit signing a pledge to confirm their support of the Buy Local initiative championed by Proudly South African.  In his address, the President also thanked Nedlac for their support in implementing the Framework Response to the Economic Crisis, which had been agreed to at the Presidential Joint Economic Working Group in February.

As we prepare as a global community for what could possibly be a defining event in the history of Mother Earth – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be hosted in Copenhagen – I would like to applaud the exceptional contribution made by South African companies, especially members such as Nedbank, who are taking their environmental responsibilities and commitments very seriously indeed.  

Congratulations to Nedbank CEO, Tom Boardman, on being selected as one of South Africa’s most prominent Climate Champions.  I am confident that Proudly SA members will support him in this challenging task, possibly opting to sign the Copenhagen Communiqué and in this way contribute to defining the agenda for this very important energy and climate debate.

Thank you to all our members who are already playing such an important role in promoting sound and sustainable business and environmental practices and who epitomise the caring spirit of ubuntu in everything they do.

Let us continue to take pride in all our positive endeavours. Let’s “Fly the Flag for football” (and all our other sporting codes) and celebrate Football Friday!  Let’s also celebrate the tenacity of those who have overcome dreaded illnesses - and are playing their part in helping to educate others in the early detection of vital symptoms, and preventative actions. 

Let’s lead by example - Buy Local and inspire others to do the same!

Herbert Mkhize