The MD of TRH, Monalisa Sam, who will lead the seminars in conjunction with Opentenders COO, Mnive Nhlabathi, is known for her own entrepreneurial journey through the corridors of property management. She has seen, at first hand, the gaps and pitfalls that permeate the retail industry, having "watched too many good brands die". As a result she has devised a series of four seminars - Concept to Trade Retail Seminars - to bridge the knowledge and skills gap in a sector that is still struggling to transform itself.
Said Sam: "Small businesses have the potential to dominate the retail landscape. As a smaller operation, they can often innovate quicker and easier than the larger guys, also incurring less cost and as a result have the opportunity to lead change." While there has been a rise in community retail and online, shopping malls (South Africa has the oldest established shopping mall culture on the continent) are still considered to be the ultimate shop windows for brands looking for the big time.
But what do shopping mall managers look for in tenants? A key question that will also be answered through the series, and one that keynote speaker Dr Richard Maponya, founder of Soweto's Maponya Mall, knows well. Other topics up for discussion and with more luminaries who will share their expertise, will for example, address how to be funding ready and what it takes to market your business and go from good to great.
"However, the seminars are not only for those looking to launch and grow retail empires, but people looking to build a career within retail," said Sam, who receives more than 10 new emails per day from people wanting to know how they can advance their careers.
This is echoed by Nhlabathi, who says that the Opentenders platform (South Africa's free B2B social networking platform) is also regularly inundated with requests for more opportunities in the retail industry. The collaboration between the two organisations now adds valuable diversification to Opentenders members. "Exposing our members to another potential revenue source and one that has the ability to provide ongoing income while waiting to win the next big tender, will further assist in growing the South African economy," commented Nhlabathi.
He also encouraged would-be delegates to stay for all four sessions, as the final session would reveal some exciting news, but concluded by saying: "Whether you attend only one session or all four, we can promise you will walk away richer in knowledge and skill, with access to a great networking platform and the impetus to go from good to great."
