The Wits Business School and the Black Management Forum (BMF) have signed an agreement that will result in a bursary being granted to deserving BMF members to enrol for postgraduate studies.  

In a joint statement on Tuesday, Wits Business School and BMF announced the partnership agreement which will allow for members of the BMF to study for a postgraduate diploma in business administration or a master's of business administration (MBA) at the Wits Business School.

Director of the Wits Business School Prof Maurice Radebe lauded the contribution of the BMF towards grooming and nurturing black professionals.

Radebe was speaking at the signing ceremony that took place at the school.

“The BMF has played a critical role in South Africa over the decades in nurturing a culture of excellence among black managers and leaders. This partnership represents a meeting of minds as we both strive towards nurturing and mentoring the next generation of leaders, and by so doing honouring the vision of the founding fathers of the BMF,” said Radebe.

In his address, BMF president Andile Nomlala said the education that members will receive from Wits will equip them with problem-solving skills.

“At BMF we are no longer looking at a narrow agenda of transformation in corporate South Africa alone, we now have a bigger responsibility of looking at transformation in the broader South African context. We now need to move forward with a critical mass of capable, skilled, well-equipped, well-grounded and ethical leaders, rather than drown in politically driven cadre deployment," he said.

“The bigger vision of the BMF is now to become the problem solvers, and this is why we have chosen to forge a long-lasting partnership with Wits Business School."

Both organisations said they will co-design a short executive education course, as well as a series of master classes, with a strong emphasis on leadership transformation and ethics for the benefit of BMF members.

“This historic agreement combines the vision that the leadership at BMF has created over the years with the reputation and skills capacity at Wits Business School. Wits has given us this opportunity and we will take it with both hands. We see this partnership as a catalyst for lasting change in our country,” said Nomlala.