Fabasa
Conference in Cape Town

The Family Business Association of Southern Africa is a non-profit organisation that has been established to act as the official mouthpiece of family-owned business in Southern Africa as well as to promote the overall interests of this economic sector.

The Family Business Association of Southern Africa (FABASA) has been established to assist family-owned businesses in Southern Africa to apply best practices to deal with the typical challenges to family-owned-businesses, such as professional succession planning and sound governance structures as well as to promote the overall interests of this economic sector. Founding Sponsor of FABASA, Old Mutual, believes that the organisation fills a much-needed void in empowering family-owned business. Members have ongoing access to the latest best practices to deal with challenges. Training programmes such as workshops and relevant information on its website, form the backbone of FABASA’s empowerment drive. Its mandate includes corporate governance and best practices, and assistance with succession planning, given that a staggering 70% of all first-generation family-owned businesses fail in their efforts to hand over to the second generation. FABASA will offer practical solutions to family businesses, while also highlighting effective strategies to manage their businesses towards profitability and prosperity. FABASA will create access to accredited family business consultants & other business experts. It is both an honour and a privilege for Old Mutual to be associated with family businesses in South Africa, as well as supporting FABASA to sustain and grow this vital sector of the South African Economy. Family businesses form the backbone of our economy and play a vital role in creating jobs and prosperity for our country. He has traveled through the world in his quest to understand the challenges facing entrepreneurs, leaders, marketers and family owned businesses and the best practices to deal with those challenges. He has an extensive background in business and marketing strategies in various economic sectors and, in his previous capacity at Old Mutual, worked on business and marketing strategies with various consulting and marketing agency firms, such as McKinsey’s & Company, Gemini, Boston Consulting, and Heroes. His latest book, BEMARK of BEVARK jy, was published in 2014 and was listed by SAKE RAPPORT as one of the 4 best business books for He is a regular guest on radio and TV talk shows and appeared on national TV more than 400 times and more than 100 times on radio since André’s PASSION in LIFE is to enable FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSES to create positive futures for their family and their business. He is also a previous member of FFI (Family Firm Institute), an international association for family owned businesses. Boplaas is SA’s oldest family business and has been in the family since She is a member of Ethics Association of South Africa, coalition member of Character Counts! Prof Venter’s field of expertise and research is family business management and in particular succession from one generation to the next. Prof Venter also lectures and researches Entrepreneurship, Small Business Management and Marketing Communication Management. in her previous capacity as senior marketing consultant at Old Mutual she managed market co-ordination and planning of brand integrity countrywide. She was also responsible for media exposure countrywide for Old Mutual’s SMME team based in Cape Town. In addition and as part of her responsibilities she lectured on challenges pertaining to succession planning for family-owned businesses. Leon Diederichs is co-owner of a family owned business where he delivers human resource development services to a number of family owned agri-businesses as a family business consultant. His human resource development experience and entrepreneurial spirit has led to the development of the ELI Group as a trusted value chain for emerging and commercial agricultural enterprises in South Africa and Namibia.