What we choose to share with generations younger than ourselves is vitally important, said University of the Witwatersrand Chancellor Dr Judy Dlamini on 23 April at the launch of a Wits Business School-published book bearing the wisdom of 23 of South Africa’s most prominent business and academic leaders.
Dr Dlamini is one of the 23 thinkers featured in Change Agents: Leadership Lessons from 23 of South Africa’s Senior Leaders, which Flow had the privilege of writing and editing from a series of leadership dialogues the business school hosted between 2020 and 2024. Wits Business School (WBS) is a longstanding Flow client.
The book is a collection of personal journeys and insights from high-profile leaders in business, academia and public service.
“From the outset we did not want mere transcriptions of the interviews, but to capture the heart and essence of each leader’s story in a way that is engaging and succinct ... WBS is grateful to have partnered with Flow Communications for this important legacy project. The final product is a quality publication which we are confident will inspire many of this country’s future change agents,” said WBS communications officer Alison Gaylard.
How we did it
This project began with an in-person meeting with Alison at WBS’s gorgeous campus in Parktown, Johannesburg, to agree on which format would best serve the book’s purpose – to disseminate the leaders’ wisdom, preserving it in physical form for the benefit of the coming generations.
After considering many different forms, including a big, coffee-table-style publication, WBS chose a textbook style. With that, the work started.
Immediately we began learning lessons. Most of the 23 interviews were available as YouTube videos. To write essays from these, we needed transcripts. After some experimenting with various AI tools, we found the most effective one, but still had to go through each transcript with an eagle eye. It’s amazing and often amusing what YouTube’s built-in transcription AI does with African names, place names and references.
Transcripts in hand, I began writing the stories. The featured leaders are an inspirational group of people, including the late Kimi Makwetu, former Auditor-General of South Africa; Themba Maseko, who was head of the Government Communication and Information System when he blew the whistle on the Gupta family’s involvement in state capture; Natascha Viljoen, who was Anglo American CEO when she was interviewed; Robbie Brozin, Nando’s co-founder; and pioneering black businesswomen Dlamini, Nonkululeko Gobodo, Lillian Barnard and Yolanda Cuba.
The essays were subedited and sent to WBS and to each interviewee for confirmation. With their requested changes made, the essays were sent to WBS’s chosen designers, Hothouse, and then the proofs were returned for proofreading. After that, they were returned for a second proofreading.
The book was then sent to the publishers, and later it was launched at a sumptuous dinner at WBS, attended by many of the 23 featured leaders.
“WBS has had longstanding relationships with many of the leaders featured in the book,” said the business school’s interim head and director, Professor Logan Rangasamy, at the launch.
“The chapters are focused and inspiring, but what is common between each of the leaders featured is their determination to make a difference in South Africa and the world.”