UKZN Students Receive Scholarships Worth over R800 000 from Tata

Tata International in Africa recently awarded eight academically and financially deserving students at the University of the Free State (UFS) with scholarships totalling more than R300 000. This Postgraduate scholarship programme was created by Dr Johan van Zyl from the UFS Department of Business Management in 2012 in collaboration with Tata. The aim of the programme is to provide final year Strategic Marketing students an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge, by developing practical marketing strategies for any one of the Tata Group companies operating in Africa. The students were tasked with presenting innovative marketing strategies with a goal of enhancing the business’ market share for Tata trucks and busses in South Africa as part of Tata’s Postgraduate Scholarship Programme. “In line with the business ethos and core values of Tata, with its strong culture of uplifting society and giving back, our objective is to help increase the number of young people primed to take up leadership roles in business, government, and civil society. The Tata Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is one of our flagship education initiatives,” said Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. The amount that each student receives covers the student’s tuition fees, stipend (living costs), books and accommodation for the year of study. Tata postgraduate scholarships contribute to the country’s objective of increasing the number of postgraduate scholars primed to take up leadership positions in business, government, and civil society in the country. Scholarship recipients are not contractually bound to Tata once they complete their studies. “Education is extremely empowering and transformative,” says Brand. “It has an amazing ripple effect, with the potential to not only uplift individuals, but the communities in which they live and work, and ultimately society at large.” This year’s UFS scholarship recipients are: Carina Louw, Alroy Kriedemann, Sachintha Galhenage, Slindile Msweli, Megan Josephs, Mpho Mothab, Anthony Arlow and Lebo Tswala.

Johannesburg, South Africa, 22 October 2019: Fifteen academically and financially deserving postgraduate students from Nelson Mandela University (NMU) were recently given scholarships from Tata International in Africa worth more than R500 000. The recipients, who graduated with Honours, Masters and Doctoral Degrees in the disciplines of Business and Economics, Sciences, Information Technology and the Arts were selected on the basis of financial need and academic excellence in their chosen field of study. “Education is extremely empowering and transformative,” says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. “It has an amazing ripple effect, with the potential to not only uplift individuals, but the communities in which they live and work, and ultimately society at large.” Scholarship recipients are not contractually bound to Tata once they complete their studies. All fields of study and faculties are taken into consideration and students must be accepted via the respective university’s academic or development foundation. The students must also pass the university’s academic criteria for acceptance. The amount that each student receives covers the student’s tuition fees, stipend (living costs), books and accommodation for the year of study. Tata postgraduate scholarships contribute to the country’s objective of increasing the number of postgraduate scholars primed to take up leadership positions in business, government, and civil society in the country. “Tata is committed to making a significant and sustainable impact on the continent by nurturing South Africa’s rich pool of young talent and growing a culture of giving back,” concludes Brand. This year’s NMU scholarship recipients are: Jumba Ayabonga (BTech Honours – IT), Inga Jikwana (Honours – Business and Economic Sciences), Bidli Zenande (BTech – Public Relations), Buhle Mnyenyevu (BTech – Public Management), Chumani Dlabongo ((BTech – Public Management), Kali Noxolo (Honours – Business and Economic Sciences), Thandazani Nofingxana (BTech – Textile Design), Avukile Jeke (Masters – MA isiXhosa Research), Mphumzi Ngozi (Masters – Information Technology), Xolisile Dingiswayo (Masters – Agriculture), Tharollo Machili (Masters – Economics), Anelisa Pezisa (Masters – Development Studies), Prashana Ramjee (Doctors – Psychology), Sifiso Kanyo Santi (Doctors – Public Management) and Sinoyolo Ngongo (Doctors – Physics).

Nineteen postgraduate students from the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) were awarded scholarships worth over R800 000 from Tata International Africa as part of their postgraduate scholarship programme on Thursday 7 November. The recipients graduated with Honours, Masters and Doctoral degrees in the disciplines of Commerce, Sciences and the Arts. “We are proud to be able to provide the necessary support to the students at WITS which has enabled them to further their studies. Our relationship with the university dates back to 2006 and we are committed to empowering and transforming lives through education which is one of the key components of the Tata business values and its belief system,” said Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa who presented the scholarships to the students at an awards ceremony held at the university. Scholarships are given to beneficiaries who have shown financial need and academic excellence in their chosen field of study and who have a proven academic track record during their graduate years. All fields of study and faculties are taken into consideration and students must be accepted via the respective university’s academic or development foundation and must pass the university’s academic criteria for acceptance. The amount that each student receives covers the student’s tuition fees, stipend (living costs), books and accommodation for the year of study. Tata postgraduate scholarships contribute to the country’s objective of increasing the number of postgraduate scholars primed to take up leadership positions in business, government, and civil society in the country. There is a strict ‘no strings’ attached policy regarding the Tata scholarships which means that students are not obligated in any way to ‘work back’ their scholarships to Tata International Africa after they have completed their studies. “I want to say thank you to the students and the parents who are here today and for allowing us to participate in making a difference in their lives. We invest in you in the hope that you become great leaders and go back to invest and uplift the communities you live and work in and pay it forward,” Brand added. The ceremony was officiated by WITS alumni, Mr. Lesiba Mothata who is the head of Strategic Clients at Alexander Forbes and holds a Bachelor of Commerce – Honours degree as well as a Master of Commerce in Financial Economics from the University of Johannesburg. Professor Robert Muponde, Director of Postgraduate Affairs represented the University on the day and gave Tata Management and the students a warm welcome. This year’s WITS scholarship recipients in the Honours category are: Kelly Ann Mawa (Bachelor of Arts Honours), Nikaelia Timothy (Bachelor of Arts with joint Honours), Basetsana Bridget Manoto (Bachelor of Accounting Science with Honours) and Mulamuleli Ishmael Simba (Bachelor of Science with Honours). Scholarship recipients in the Masters category are: Gracious Nyoni (Master of Economic Science), Lebogang Lydia Molema (Master of Science in Development Planning), Tshepo Chris Nokeri (Master of Commerce), Mfundo Praisegod Veerasamy (Master of Commerce), Siyasanga Gxaba (Master of Science – Dissertation), Nthabiseng Miranda Lekalakala (Master of Science – Dissertation), Mohlabani Masiu (Master of Science in Medicine), Pride Nombulelo Ngcobo (Master of Arts by Coursework and Research Report) and Nontokozo Masinga (Master of Arts by Research). WITS students who were awarded a scholarship in the Doctoral category are: Mandlakayise Lucky Nhleko (PhD Public Health), William Mokone (PhD Chemistry), Thobekile Dladla (PhD Physiology), Thabo Peme (PhD Chemistry), Lusanda Mapela (PhD Pharmacy) and Vidhya Sana (PhD Language and Literature). One of the students, Pride Nombulelo Ngcobo who is studying her Masters in Applied Drama and Theatre gave a heartfelt vote of thanks for the bursary, “I would like to thank Tata for giving me the opportunity to be able to further my studies. This thank-you does not only come from my heart alone, but from my single mother at home. My future says thank you, and the boys who attend my workshops in Hillbrow say thank you. My hope is that this initiative grows so that other students may also have the same chance and opportunity that I am so lucky to have,” she said.

By Len Brand, CEO, Tata International Africa. Businesses are dependent on the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of the communities in which they operate. Investing in initiatives which empower more people to become self-sufficient can have far-reaching benefits. The proverb ‘give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’ is still one of the most powerful ways businesses can pay it forward. Before I came on board in August 2016, the Tata Africa business was not in good shape. But execution of strategic initiatives which involve leading major organisational and cultural change to propel and sustain revenue growth is what I live for. It was a challenge that I relished. Fast-forward two-and-a-half years and I am pleased to say that, through a clearly defined ‘uptime’ turnaround strategy, we managed to achieve a 20% jump in turnover, and the business was returned to solvency. It is all about uptime In essence, uptime is the opposite of downtime. For commercial vehicles like trucks and buses, uptime is the period when that vehicle is up and running, and downtime is when it is off the road for maintenance or repairs. Obviously when human capital or other assets go down, the business suffers financially. So, the quicker we can get that vehicle back on the road, helping its driver or owner to earn an income, the better. Access to parts and service Before the implementation of our uptime strategy, Tata International Africa’s network consisted of independent 3S and 2S dealers in South Africa and Kenya, with Tata acting as importer and dealer elsewhere on the continent. All these facilities were in the main cities of each country. A 3S facility is a dealership which offers sales, service, and spare parts. A 2S facility, usually owned by a private individual, offers only services and spare parts. Up till that stage, a 1S facility was just a guy selling grey import spare parts out of a container. In order to truly grow our footprint, to create the economies of scale we needed across the continent, we had to transform Tata’s network in Africa through an innovative development programme. So, in line with the ethos of the Tata family conglomerate and their unwavering commitment to job creation, education, and skills development, especially in the areas of youth employment, and community and social upliftment, we set out to empower existing small business owners to become entrepreneurs. Empowering entrepreneurs It is important to understand that not all small business owners are entrepreneurs. While they are both self-employed, there are some distinct differences. Small business owners are often sentimental, seeing their business as part of the community and part of the family. They are generally happy with the way things are, and content to simply carry on making a living, with limited growth and profitability. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are not in business to simply achieve a level of income to support their current lifestyle. They are driven by passion or opportunity, and focus on innovative offerings, targeting rapid growth and high returns. Our development programme was focussed on identifying those small business owners with entrepreneurial flair, and equipping them with the skills they needed to implement business processes and operating efficiencies to take their businesses to the next level. We chose existing 1S facilities, strategically picking the ones already operating in prime locations, and offered to sell them genuine spare parts at a discounted rate, with a one-year buy-back guarantee. We also offered free training for roadside mechanics, bringing them into one of our 3S or 2S facilities for three or four days, and training them on how to fix our vehicles. Investment bears fruit Our 1S pilot in Tanzania was a huge success. We have already seen the entrepreneurial results of the time and money we have invested in this programme. When one of our customers’ trucks or buses break down, these Tata-trained roadside mechanics now go to their nearest 1S facility, buy the genuine parts, and fix the vehicle as quickly as possible. There has also been a shift in our buying behaviour, as they have started buying spare parts from 1S facilities closest to them. Not only are they supporting small businesses in their communities, but in doing so, they are also able to get their customers’ trucks and buses up and running as quickly as possible. All of this supports and bolsters our uptime strategy – positioning ourselves as the brand of choice in Africa for vehicles with the least amount of downtime. It is a virtuous cycle. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts In South Africa, we still have more than 30 3S dealers, and have increased our 2S touchpoints to 91. We can reach a broken truck or bus in less than two hours. We are doing the same across the rest of the continent, where we have expanded our own 3S facilities beyond just the main cities, and added numerous independent 2S and 1S touchpoints. As you travel through Africa, you know there will be a Tata touchpoint somewhere along the way. Our aim is to continue growing our brand awareness, to be top of mind for commercial vehicles on the continent, and ultimately for the Tata brand to be as big and respected in Africa as it is in India. Note: Prior to his current position as CEO at Tata International Africa, Len Brand spent 22 years focussed on agricultural mechanisation equipment, and golf and turf equipment, in sub-Saharan Africa, Germany, and the United States, six of which were spent in the role of MD at John Deere Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a University of Pretoria alumni, with a BSc in Industrial Engineering, and also sits on the BRICS Institute’s Advisory Board.