Thebe & Madiba Birthday

By Sherole Webster

July can be considered one of the many historic times in South Africa but more so for Thebe Investment Corporation. It is not simply another month that brings us closer to the end of the year but it marks yet another year in the journey of Thebe Investment Corporation. It is a month that marks the birth of one our founding fathers, Nelson Mandela.

With time, the only things that are constant or guaranteed are death and change. In this case we celebrate change; we celebrate a 23 year journey of constant change. But as the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Thebe is still rooted in the core values that initiated its inception. The values are the cornerstone of the business and we gain direction from the definition of these values and what our founders had in mind when they began the journey in 1992. “If they [the founders] look down on us today they would say, ‘Finally, you understand what we were trying to do with Thebe;’” said Vusi Khanyile, Chairman of Thebe Investment Corporation.

As we celebrate our 23rd year of existance , we look at how the Thebe Group can continue to grow from strength to strength. As we enter a new era, change is essential thus the restructuring of the group. The Energy and Resources division of the business will steer us in a new direction and strenghten our position in the market place. This we believe supports what our founding fathers wanted to be financially emancipated and contribute to the transformation of our society.

Nelson Mandela, one of our founders shares a birthday month with Thebe. Born In 1912, Madiba spent his life being an agent of change. Through tireless hard work, passion and clear goals he and his fellow comrades took to changing the lives of millions. Often many would say that he did so without fear but in actuality, we could say that he did not let his fear paralyse him from achieving the goals he had set out to achieve. To father a nation was no easy task and Mandela did so with grace and humility, characteristics that everyone can learn from and should be embedded in the Thebe Group DNA.

With our rich legacy, it is important that we carry the cornerstones of the business further into the future. Here’s to yet another year of building communities and to the remembrance of a life well lived.
Happy birthday Thebe and Tata Nelson Mandela!