Dr. Vadym Saveliev, the academic supervisor of the international module for the SEMBA class talks about the international module in South Africa and business opportunities there.

 “South Africa is unlike anything you could imagine. It has economically sectors and slums,” Vadym says. The country has the characteristics of developed and developing economies at the same time. It is considered to be one of the most promising global marketplaces. The country accounts for 28% of Africa’s GDP, 40% of industrial and 30% of agricultural output. At the same time, South Africa suffers from corruption, unemployment, and economic inequality which is well familiar to us, Ukrainians.

For many years SE MBA international module has been conducted in South Africa. Vadym Saveliev explains why.

- Very few from our parts of the world travel there. It is easy to go to a successful European business school. However, visit there affects imagination, pushes the borders and inspires new ideas. It is the right place to see new opportunities, scale the business or improve the business model. Last year study tour resulted in the launch of a very successful business project in Ukraine.

- MIM-Kyiv partners with Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg and University of Stellenbosch Business School in Cape Town. Both schools are among the best business schools in the world. They provide very high-quality academic part and company visits. The academic part covers the most pending global issues whereas company visits demonstrate how those new trends are adopted and implemented in the local context. This year we visit “quintessential” South Africa industries – financial services, retail, hospitality, and manufacturers.

- Both countries are developing economies. However, South Africa consists of 2 countries in fact. One is a successful, rich and contemporary whilst the other is extremely poor with people living in slums and below the poverty line.

- I personally had my share biases before going there. I was impressed by unexpected affluence of Cape Town. On the other hand, when you come to a township you see the poverty unspeakable here. Altogether, the visit is very reinvigorating. Last year I completely remade my Consumers’ Behavior course after a visit to South Africa. The country inspires.