Yesterday, ECDC chief executive officer Ayanda Wakaba delivered an address themed “Champions of Collaboration” at the Annual National Convention of the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA). This year’s convention is being held in East London and Gqeberha from 5 – 8 November under the theme: Leading for Legacy – Accounting for 30 years of Democracy.
The four-day convention began with a visit to the University of Fort Hare’s, Nkuhlu Department of Accounting at the East London Campus on Tuesday 5 November. It will conclude with a Golf Day at the Walmer Golf Club and a dinner and awards at the Bluewater Bay Sunrise Hotel in Gqeberha on 8 November.
This year’s convention has attracted sought-after speakers and leaders such as Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, University of South Africa Vice-Chancellor Prof Puleng LenkaBula and chairperson of the Bidvest Group Professor Bonang Mohale, among others.
At the East London leg of the convention held at Hemingways Hotel’s The Venue, Wakaba reiterated the need for the development of strategic partnerships and alliances and the leveraging of partner resources to grow and sustain the economy. In his address, he impressed on delegates that the public sector cannot save the economy alone.
“Organisations such as ABASA have the ability to identify opportunities for collaboration on impactful economic programmes. They are skilled in harnessing the power of strategic partnerships to address prevailing challenges,” Wakaba said.
He encouraged delegates to not adopt a self-insulated approach, but rather to roll up “our sleeves and work together. We have to build a better people who are capacitated to deal with the challenges of tomorrow.”
He also stressed the need to continue building a pipeline of skilled accountants and finance professionals who can support the needs of the Eastern Cape economy.