Jo'burg, South Africa

Arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa on Feb 24th for the first leg of what promises to be a unique and intriguing Corporate Services Corps experience. Fourteen IBMers from nine different countries converged in Jo'burg for a day ... before most of us continue on to our project location in the Eastern Cape Region (in the south part of the country on the coast of the Indian Ocean). The adventure started with an incredibly insightful set of presentations from IBM South Africa execs, some highlights of which included:

- advice that you will benefit the people of the Eastern Cape but do not deprive yourself of letting the opportunity also change you
- the people are proudly South African and we need to avoid being viewed as there to take their jobs
-  the government is the largest procurer in all of Africa
- BEE = Black Economic Empowerment ... key to the country's development and obtaining business
- black South Africans make up 95% of the population but own only 5% of the market cap
- IBM had a presence in SA in the early 1950's but left and did not return until 1994, post-apartheid.
- there are now huge expectations on the government to deliver economically and the pressure is building. It has been less than 20 years since the first free elections and greater than 30 million South Africans live on welfare.
- there is a small pool of experienced, talented South Africans following years of repression.
- Government has a ranking system of companies that greatly affects their ability to do business in SA, with a 50% weighting on value, 30% on skills development, and 20% on BEE.
- conditions for success in South Africa may be at odds with certain company principles, policies or guidelines.

                                         Part of our team speaking with disadvantaged Grade
                                         11 and 12 girls in an IBM Johannesburg classroom
                                         on Saturday morning ... taught by an IBM volunteer
                                         to help with their regular school studies.