By Saul Molobi
The sun rose slowly over the jagged peaks of the Drakensberg, lighting up the gathering of some of South Africa’s most influential leaders — from policymakers and ambassadors to captains of industry. It was Day Two of the Drakensberg Growth Summit, convened by the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation, and the tone of the morning was set not by abstract economics, but by the human philosophy of connection and collaboration.
At the podium stood Faizal Mkhize, Chief Executive Officer of ABSA Business Bank, a man known in business circles for his steady leadership and reflective temperament. Dressed with the modest ease of a man comfortable in both the boardroom and the community, Mkhize began not with figures or forecasts, but with gratitude and a hint of humour.
“I don’t think I would be wasting time,” he began, “if I stood simply to acknowledge my other boss — the Governor of the Reserve Bank — the boss of all bankers in the country.” The room responded with laughter, before Mkhize gently steered the mood toward the substance of his message: the necessity of partnership as the cornerstone of sustainable development.
A Shared Journey Between Business and Society
Reflecting on ABSA’s partnership with the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation, Mkhize said the relationship had evolved beyond sponsorship into something far more meaningful. “It’s my second year attending this dialogue,” he said. “And every time, I find the conversations rich, the relationships authentic, and the lessons lasting. This is not a conference about talking at people. It’s about learning from each other — about discovering how leaders across sectors navigate the challenges that face our country.”
For Mkhize, the summit represents a living laboratory of ideas where corporate strategy meets civic conscience. “Sometimes coming here,” he said, “is not about telling people what to do, but finding synergies — finding ways of working together to solve problems that no one sector can fix alone.”
He spoke with warmth about the Foundation’s ongoing impact on social development, saying ABSA was “inspired by the way the Foundation connects leadership, community, and purpose.”
Africa’s Golden Opportunity — and Its Responsibility
Turning his attention to the continent’s broader prospects, Mkhize’s tone became more assertive. “Yes, the world is facing turbulent times — geopolitical uncertainty, disrupted trade, volatile markets — but Africa holds a golden opportunity. Our responsibility is to turn debate into action.”
He spoke pointedly about the gap between the promise of trade agreements and their actual implementation. “We have many well-written frameworks,” he observed, “but too often, we fail to operationalise them. It’s time that trade between African countries becomes more than aspiration — it must become tangible evidence of progress.”
Invoking the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key opportunity, Mkhize stressed that Africa must define its own terms of engagement before negotiating with global powers. “By the time we engage with the East or the West,” he said, “we must do so from a position of accountability. We have the resources, the youth, the innovation — but we must also have a united vision for the future we want to create. That’s our collective duty.”
The Power and Proof of Partnership
If there was one theme that threaded through his remarks, it was partnership — not as a buzzword, but as a binding principle of national progress.
“There’s enough evidence,” he said, “that when government, civil society, and business work together, the results are transformative. We’ve seen it in education, infrastructure, and enterprise development. But it requires us to show up — not just with money, but with commitment and conscience.”
He praised recent collaborations between business leaders and government through the B20 and G20 platforms, saying they were critical in ensuring that South Africa’s priorities were not lost in global trade negotiations. “If not for partnership,” he emphasised, “neither government nor business can drive change. The era of working in silos must end.”
Mkhize’s voice deepened with conviction as he added:
“As business, we can’t sit on the sidelines issuing opinions about what should go right if we are not part of the solution. We must participate, influence, and help shape the nation we want to live in.”
Building Bridges Between Policy and Practice
Beyond policy rhetoric, Mkhize delved into the practical realities of South Africa’s business landscape. “At ABSA,” he said, “we work with clients across sectors — agriculture, logistics, transport, and manufacturing — and we see the day-to-day challenges they face.”
He cited port inefficiencies, red tape, and infrastructure gaps as ongoing obstacles to growth. “If we collaborate with government to address these blockages, the results will speak for themselves,” he said. “The businesses we support will succeed not because we funded them, but because the ecosystem works.”
This pragmatic, solution-driven approach — grounded in partnership — has become central to Mkhize’s leadership philosophy. “We can’t afford to be reactive anymore,” he said. “We need deliberate action — steps that create measurable impact and inspire others to follow.”
Small Business, Big Impact
In perhaps the most personal section of his speech, Mkhize turned to ABSA’s growing commitment to small business development and entrepreneurship.
“As a bank, we’re deeply aware of the role small and medium enterprises play in job creation,” he said. “That’s why we’ve partnered with institutions like UNISA to conduct research on what works — on how to make funding more accessible, policies more responsive, and growth more inclusive.”
He acknowledged that there is no shortage of studies or recommendations, but the challenge lies in turning research into reform. “These insights,” he said, “help us revisit our own policies — to ensure we’re not just talking about empowerment, but living it.”
Then, his voice softened as he recalled a moving encounter that had shaped his understanding of corporate citizenship. “Last year, I met a university director who spoke passionately about supporting poor students. He told us about children walking 10 or 15 kilometres to school each day. Last month, we visited a school outside Messina and gave 130 bicycles to those learners. It’s a small gesture, but it means they can now focus on their education, not the distance.”
He paused, letting the human story sink in before adding, “Sometimes leadership is not about scale — it’s about sincerity. By taking small, deliberate steps, we learn how to make a bigger difference.”
Catalysts for Collective Action
As the hall erupted in applause, Mkhize concluded with an invitation that felt both personal and national: “In the course of this weekend, I hope we can share more of these stories — of what companies and communities are doing together to change lives. When we do, this summit becomes more than a conversation; it becomes a catalyst.”
He left the podium to warm applause, his message resonating across the valley — that progress is not an individual pursuit but a collective act of nation-building.
Context: The Drakensberg Growth Summit — A Mountain of Meaning
The Drakensberg Growth Summit, now in its fifth year, has evolved into one of South Africa’s most intellectually charged platforms for cross-sector engagement. Convened by the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation, it brings together heads of state, ministers, business executives, academics, and civil-society leaders under a single vision: to build an ethical, developmental state grounded in shared prosperity.
Day Two of the 2025 edition — themed “Reimagining Growth Through Partnership and State Capacity” — featured heavyweight voices from across the global and local spectrum: from economists dissecting South Africa’s post-apartheid accumulation patterns, to ambassadors from China and the European Union outlining new trade visions for the Global South.
Within that constellation of thought, Faizal Mkhize’s speech stood out — not for its technical jargon, but for its moral clarity. It reasserted the idea that inclusive growth begins with inclusive intention — that the relationship between government, business, and people must evolve from transactional coexistence to transformational cooperation.
A Summit of Convergence
As the day drew to a close, former President Kgalema Motlanthe could be seen in quiet conversation with several participants — a fitting image of the summit’s spirit: leaders not grandstanding, but listening.
In many ways, Mkhize’s words captured the essence of what the Foundation has sought to achieve since its inception: an honest, solutions-oriented dialogue between power and principle.
“Partnership,” he had said, “is not charity. It’s not convenience. It’s commitment.”
In a time of political volatility and economic strain, those words resonated like an anthem — a reminder that South Africa’s next chapter will be written not in isolation, but in concert.