“The result is that CEO’s are then too nervous of taking any risks. In this instance, small and medium sized players, particularly those which are owner-managed, have the advantage as they have less to lose and more to gain, are more agile and flexible, and are often willing to take risks.”


There is little doubt that as a nation, South Africans are an innovative bunch, with the result that there are a myriad new products, services and inventions occurring on a regular basis. The problem, believes Marcus, is that we’re too casual in our approach. We don’t test new ideas in the market sufficiently prior to attempting a launch.


From a government point of view, the picture is not much brighter. “South Africa’s report card in terms of creating opportunities is probably amongst the worst in the world,” reports Marcus. “Added to this, our ability to create micro enterprises is abysmal.”


Government is certainly concerned about the high rate of failure amongst so-called entrepreneurs. Marcus believes that South Africa has distorted views on what constitutes an entrepreneur. “You can’t make somebody an entrepreneur: they either have that inherent risk profile, or they don’t. A knowledge of theory will not make you an entrepreneur. We need to put more mentoring and formal coaching in place.”


Prof. Roy Marcus, Chief Executive Officer of Da Vinci Holdings


He believes that corporates in South Africa, in most instances, don’t have the ability to handle entrepreneurs: they’re not team players and they don’t conform. Instead of penalising them for that, says Marcus, they need to learn how to nurture these individuals.


10 Management Today | November 2011


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