South Africa (Spring 2019)

A daunting task and an opportunity to learn

By Colin

It is difficult to consult on an industry you know hardly anything about, doubly so when you know next to nothing about the people or communities involved. What do we expect to accomplish during the project? What do our clients expect of us? Are we even qualified to do this? How do we ensure our assistance doesn’t appear as a savior complex? These are some of the challenges before us as we head to South Africa in a few days.

When I was notified that my application for the South Africa project was accepted I was ecstatic. Mandela, safaris, the Cape of Good Hope, sharks are just some of the things that come to mind when I thought of South Africa. Friends have recently been using Cape Town as a honeymoon spot or cheap vacation due to an excellent exchange rate. Vacation in South Africa would be an unforgettable experience and chance to see a different continent. Telling family members and friends I often heard the same thoughts echoed back.

But is this what I was truly excited for? A trip to sightsee for a week? No. I began to think about the other side of South Africa. A beautiful country with a troubled past. Apartheid, colonization, diamond mining, poverty, illiteracy, crime. South Africa’s turbulent history and growing pains provide valuable lessons for us and our own communities here at home.

It is easy for us to view South Africa as a distant country. It is at the bottom of Africa after all. What does America have in common with a country that 25 years ago held its first democratic elections? There are more commonalities than you may think. How do we deal with past and present racial discrimination? How do we continue to integrate our communities? How do we enable our fellow community members? These questions are applicable for both South Africa as well as the United States.

The fact of it is, there are lessons I expect to learn in South Africa which I can apply here in the States. Acknowledging this is fundamental to how I approach the trip, and hopefully my classmates as well. We are not some hot-shot MBA’s from the United States here to solve South Africa’s problems. This is not a savior complex situation where we come in with all the answers, provide the solution, ask for thanks and leave. I expect to learn more from our client, about their motivation to complete these projects, their experiences in rapidly changing social environments, their challenges working in a non-profit setting with little government assistance, than I can provide to them through a business plan.

The project assigned to my team is vast. It encompasses unemployment, illiteracy, clean energy, drinkable water and the hope for a sustainable, circular solution. The task is daunting, and certainly we are not qualified to address it.

But then again who is? One thing I’ve experienced in my short career is that no matter what room you are in, it’s just full of people. No one has the answer to this project, honestly, there isn’t even one answer. More than likely this will require a multi-level approach.

What they need from us is to try. To not throw our hands up and say “Well that’s impossible are you crazy? You need real consultants”. Until challenges are broken into actionable steps they often seem intimidating. In the end, through perseverance, these challenges are addressed and resolved by people. Maybe we aren’t going to solve this project, actually I can almost guarantee we won’t. That is ok. We are their partner in this, helping them to explore new ideas, try something, and move them closer to the solution they desire.

Inevitably our proposals will fall short initially. Eagerly, I await the opportunity to meet the people committed to these projects, discuss their experiences, learn about the environments they work in and begin to understand the challenges better. You can’t give what you don’t have and it is difficult for us to give the proper assistance without better understanding. Naturally, I am thrilled to explore a new country.

Truly, I am most excited to learn, to carry this experience with me, to have confidence in my ability to tackle an enormous issue, to understand what it means to partner with an organization and be able to apply these lessons to my own community back home.

South Africa’s health care challenges

By Stephanie

It is clear from my research and working with my team’s health care client that stakeholders in South Africa are still working to break down barriers related to social determinants of health.

I depart for Johannesburg, South Africa in just three days and I can hardly contain my excitement for what I know is going to be an incredible trip and valuable learning experience.

One of the primary reasons I chose to attend Boston University was for the real-world learning and immersion opportunities. When I discovered this trip, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to gain exposure to international businesses, conduct hands-on consulting work, and be immersed in topics I am passionate about.

In addition to my MBA, I am also pursuing a Master’s in Public Health, so I am very passionate about health care systems and global health topics. The opportunity to explore these subjects in the context of South Africa was a major reason why I chose this particular course. I am most looking forward to our site visits at the World Health Organization and Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute while in South Africa.

HIV and tuberculosis are among the top key health challenges that organizations, such as WHO and Wits RHI, are tackling. The prevalence rate of adults living with HIV and the rate of new cases of tuberculous in South Africa are among the highest in the world, even though South Africa is considered more developed than most countries in Africa.

In my public health classes we spend a lot of time talking about social determinants of health, which have just as significant of an influence on health/wellness as an individual’s personal health behaviors. It is clear from my research and working with my team’s health care client that stakeholders in South Africa are still working to break down barriers related to social determinants of health. Access to care is still a significant issue for parts of the population, especially rural communities; having to travel long distances for care or treatment, on top of the struggle to pay for that care, is a substantial barrier for many and this ultimately influences the timeliness and quality of care. Health education/awareness is another critical social determinant of health that organizations, like WHO and Wits RHI, have focused their efforts and interventions on, but gaps in education still persist.

My consulting team is working with our client to research affordable models of private health care that could be implemented in South Africa to aid in the structural challenges of the current health care system. The country is facing inefficient and overloaded public healthcare services, and this is a problem as private health care is too expensive or inaccessible for the majority of the population to take advantage of. There is a need for new models and more investment from the private sector in order to enable the health care system to be sustainable moving forward. I am looking forward to meeting our clients and sharing our ideas, while also engaging in a conversation and learning key insights from them. I have no doubt the take-aways from this trip are going to be profound and bring value to my education in many ways.

Race relations in South Africa

By Luke

I am hoping to draw on my earlier and very positive experiencing dealing with the major groups in South Africa society to fully understand the current status of race relations in South Africa.

Almost 7 years ago now in June of 2012, I travelled to South Africa for a month-long research project. The project was based on studying the impact of elephant local overpopulation on the habitat by recording data on vegetation and bird species in a private game reserve in rural KwaZulu-Natal. We flew in and out of Johannesburg, but immediately drove 9 hours east to this game reserve. The closest civilization was the town of Pongola (population 1,403) and we didn’t venture off the drive from the reserve and our lodging 5 minutes away. Days were spent out in the hot sun with about 100 times more antelope spotted than people.

To educate myself for this trip, I read “The Covenant” by James Michener, a historical novel covering the entire history of South Africa through the start of Apartheid. This gave me context around the constant battles over land and resources between races from early settlement by the Dutch and slaughtering of small tribes, rise of the British regime and their early missionaries, and the great success of the Zulu from a no name tribe to the most powerful in South Africa. In our little world next to the game reserve, we were exposed to all of these peoples, but didn’t see any of the tension I had heard and read about. Our lodging and was run by Zulu, our naturalist was English, our security guard (providing protection from animals in the field) was Afrikaans. Our guide and security guard would speak in Zulu whenever they didn’t want us to understand, which is not a practice I expect in a former colony. Our weekly trip to the bar to see the rugby series, South Africa versus England, saw everyone in the area, of all races, gather to cheer on their diverse group of countrymen beat the English.

This was clearly not even close or accurate to the whole picture of race relations in South Africa. On our drive out of Johannesburg there were slums leaving the city like I had never seen before. When someone from our group befriended a local Zulu man our age and was given a small rack of horns from a klipspringer as a gift, we were told that he couldn’t bring it home because it would probably be classified as poaching and confiscated. There were subtle undertones of distance and between the races.

I am expecting this time to South Africa, spending almost exclusively all my time in Johannesburg and Cape Town, for these tensions to be a lot more explicit and obvious. In such a confined space with lack of resources, there is no escaping it like people could pretend while watching the rugby match outside a town of 1,000 people. Hearing people directly address these issues at some of the non-profits we will visit will be in stark contrast to the zero mention of tensions. I am hoping to draw on my earlier and very positive experiencing dealing with the major groups in South Africa society to fully understand the current status of race relations in South Africa.

Affecting societal change on a national scale by showing leadership

By Julie

I found it truly inspiring to learn about how one woman’s relentless passion and commitment against the racist regime ultimately helped affect societal change on a national scale.

With the trip to South Africa fast approaching, I am both excited and anxious for what lies ahead. One of the reasons I chose to take this course was to explore a different culture on a deeper level and to broaden my world views. During my undergrad, I took a business in Italy class where we learned about globalization and international businesses, specifically focusing on the Italian wine industry. It was such a rewarding experience that allowed me to gain an even greater appreciation for the rich history and vibrant culture of Italy. When I applied to this MBA program, I was interested in having another opportunity to take an international business course to further expand my global perspective and immerse myself in a new culture. I was excited to hear that this year’s social impact field seminar would be in South Africa, a country I have been wanting to visit for a while.

In preparation for this trip, I have been learning more about South Africa’s history and culture while reflecting on how far the country has come. I recently watched a documentary about Winnie Mandela and her activist role in bringing an end to apartheid. It was interesting to hear her personal account of the struggles she experienced and how she advocated for justice and equality during a time with so little hope. Despite being considered a controversial political figure, I found it truly inspiring to learn about how one woman’s relentless passion and commitment against the racist regime ultimately helped affect societal change on a national scale.

As I reflect on the business visits planned in Johannesburg, I am most looking forward to visiting the Apartheid Museum and learning how this significant part of South Africa’s history has shaped its present day challenges to growth and sustainability. I am sure it will be an emotional and unforgettable experience that will help me gain insights into how the systematic racial segregation that plagued South Africa has impacted its current political, social, and economic situation.

In my current role, I work on advisory projects to improve various financial and operational processes within a large research university. As I learn more about the education system in South Africa and its current challenges to improve the quality of education, I am finding that their push to promote collaboration and resource sharing among educators is rooted in similar efforts undertaken in the US. It will be interesting to make further connections to the US as well as explore South Africa’s unique challenges during the site visits in Johannesburg. Additionally, I am eager to apply my advisory experience and what I have learned in my social impact program to add value to a consulting project in an international context.

The lack of access to electricity for underserved communities and vicious circle

By Aleena

Not having access to electricity causes the underserved communities to get stuck in a vicious circle.

Ever since this course kicked in a few weeks ago, I have been immersed in everything South Africa. The consulting project I was assigned to is around providing renewable energy in underserved communities. This hits close to home for me. Growing up in Pakistan, electricity shortage is a common problem faced by both the rich and the poor. If you are rich enough, you could buy a generator. If you are properly rich, you could buy a couple of generators. The poor are unable to afford these back up plans. However, the rich and the poor are both faced with the same problem: dealing with a necessity that, in principal, the country’s government should be able to provide. South Africa faces a very similar issue. This necessity is almost viewed as a luxury reserved for urban communities. However, governments are facing their own set of challenges while dealing with providing traditional energy, primarily generated through fossil fuels. For one, fossil fuels are fast running out. Secondly, and some might argue more importantly, they are causing a havoc to the climate.

How does the government tackle this growing issue? Countries like South Africa have an advantage due to the amount of sun it receives all year round. Putting up solar panels on residential rooftops and businesses should do the trick, right? Turns out, it is a lot more complicated than that. For one, solar power is constantly evolving. Solar technology that was once considered a fool proof way to generate optimal energy from the sun has now been surpassed by emerging technology that can provide better operational efficiency. There is debate on whether to use photovoltaic panels or concentrated solar panels. These are big capital investments. This is why governments need to be fully committed to this shift. With the proper regulation and appropriate tariffs, governments can lower barriers to entry for businesses.

This electricity disparity has a massive impact on the social stratification of the country. During my research, I found a strong correlation between GDP and access to electricity. Predictably, these areas were also low on education. Not having access to electricity causes the underserved communities to get stuck in a vicious circle. The consulting project I was assigned to with my team is around how we can solve this complex issue. Since this is my first consulting project, I have already learned a lot about this field. Consulting itself has been interesting; managing client expectations, working on developing a relationship with the client’s point person, and working with a client on a day/night time difference. I look forward to learning more about the socio-economic concerns in the country and how businesses can help mitigate them through strategic involvements.