News and OriginalSteps.com Projects

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: News; Published: 22 August 2017; Last Updated: 22 August 2017

Digital Africa Exhibition and Beats Bloc Party among exceptional highlights of 2017 Fak’ugesi Festival

From 6 to 16 September 2017, the Fak'ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival is back in Johannesburg to celebrate technology, creativity, collaboration and innovation from across the African continent.

The highly anticipated 2017 festival will officially open with the launch of the Fak’ugesi Digital Africa Exhibition on 8 September and close with the Festival Finale - Fak’ugesi Beats Bloc Party.

For the first time in 2017 the Festival will have a dedicated New Media and Technology Art Exhibition focusing on the very latest digital practices. Opening on the 8th, the exhibition will run for the duration of the festival to showcase a collection of works that will include the work of Fak’ugesi Resident Artists from the SADC region (supported by Pro Helvetia and the ANT fund); Dananayi Muwanigwa and Kombo Chapfika from Harare, Zimbabwe and Julia Hango of Windhoek, Namibia.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: News; Published: 22 August 2017; Last Updated: 22 August 2017

Stanford Graduate School of Business Launches Two Educational Opportunities to Empower Youth and Entrepreneurs in Southern Africa

Silicon Valley-based university continues to expand global program offerings with new partnership with De Beers Group.

Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) today announced a USD $3 million, three-year partnership with De Beers Group to empower young, budding entrepreneurs and owners of established businesses in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa through two new educational programs launching in 2018.

Stanford is expanding two of its successful programs to Southern Africa: the Seed Transformation Program of the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies, known as Stanford Seed, and the Stanford Go-to-Market program for accelerating business ventures to market.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: News; Published: 19 July 2017; Last Updated: 19 July 2017

Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions’ (SACAU) Young Agripreneurs Forum gets the inside track on mechanization and agriculture at AGCO Future Farm, Zambia Image source: Source: AGCO Corporation

AGCO, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and solutions, welcomed delegates from 11 countries attending the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions’ (SACAU) Young Agripreneurs Forum to its Future Farm in Zambia for an in-depth three-day programme covering farm mechanization and the business of agriculture.

SACAU is committed to a transformative agenda for agricultural development which is growth-oriented and enterprise-development focused. A key emphasis is working with young farmers and, since 2014, SACAU has run an annual regional young farmers’ forum. The aim of the forums is to create a positive image for agriculture among the next generation and develop role models from within the sector.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: News; Published: 20 July 2017; Last Updated: 20 July 2017

Björn Borg plays a game of tennis across the U.S. and Mexico border image credit Fredrik Josefsson Björn Borg plays a game of tennis across the U.S. and Mexico border image credit Fredrik Josefsson

Swedish sportswear brand Björn Borg has orchestrated a tennis match on the U.S. – Mexican border with one player on each side of the border, half the tennis court on Mexican soil and the other half on US soil. Borg Open – Tennis across Borders – is an initiative intended to manifest an open world in which sport has the power to unite people.

The world of today is full of conflicts and rivalry that lead to frustration, causing people and nations to build walls between each other. But rivalry can also be something good. After all, a rival pushes you to perform better and often brings out the best of you.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: News; Published: 23 June 2017; Last Updated: 23 June 2017

Despite worldwide changes, multinationals focus on mobile workforces to support career growth and ensure global competitiveness

Mercer’s annual Cost of Living Survey finds African, Asian, and European cities dominate the list of most expensive locations for working abroad

- Luanda overtakes Hong Kong as the most expensive city for expatriates to live in according to Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey.
- Victoria in the Seychelles ranks 14th most expensive city sharing the same ranking with Moscow.
- Cape Town, Blantyre and Windhoek ranks amongst the 15 cheapest cities globally.

In a rapidly changing world, mobility has become a core component of multinational organizations’ global talent strategy. To support the growing number of international assignees working in an increased number of locations, organizations are focusing on evaluating assignments from a cultural perspective, preparing for regional and lateral moves, and modifying compensation approaches to stay competitive. As organizations grapple with these challenges, they are working hard to accommodate the needs of their workforce and to support employees’ careers. According to Mercer’s (www.Mercer.com) 2017 Global Talent Trends Study, fair and competitive pay as well as opportunities for promotion are top priorities for employees this year – not surprising given the current climate of uncertainty and change.