Two top-rated South African economists and thought leaders are joining the Small Business Institute’s (SBI’s) board as part of the organisation’s bid to strengthen its capacity to champion the voice of small businesses.
The SBI on Monday also announced a new executive team, who have been appointed with immediate effect.
Sipho Nkosi has assumed the role of SBI chairperson, while economists Lumkile Mondi and Thabi Leoka join the SBI board as nonexecutive directors.
Former SBI chairperson Bernard Swanepoel will head up a new executive team as SBI’s founding executive director, while former SBI director and financial communications professional Jennifer Cohen has been appointed as the executive for policy and advocacy.
Journalist and former newspaper editor John Dludlu joins SBI as executive for strategy and public affairs.
The changes are part of the ongoing transformation of the SBI, which began over a year ago, and follow the partnership with research think-tank Small Business Project under the leadership of small business expert Chris Darroll.
“These appointments signal our commitment to promoting the growth of small business through fact- and evidence-based policy-making in our country. We are launching the next phase of our ground-breaking baseline study, which we announced last year,” Swanepoel commented in a statement.
“We look forward to joining hands and working with all role-players in our country who are committed to the growth of this all-important but often poorly supported segment of our economy,” Nkosi added.