Interviews

Reuel J. Khoza is a prominent South African thought leader, entrepreneur and academic who currently serves as Chairman of Dzana Investments, Discovery Bank and Assupol Insurance. He has also written several books on business leadership, especially advocating for the management applications of Ubuntu – an African collectivist worldview that emphasizes the importance of human connectedness.

To begin the interview, Dr. Khoza shares insights into his early life and the role models who shaped his educational aspirations. Born in eastern South Africa, he attended a missionary primary school and describes a close relationship with his father – an evangelist in their local church. Dr. Khoza's father set a high standard for academic achievement, instilling in him a determination to consistently maintain a top-ranking position throughout his education. He also credits others for this influence, including the principal of his high school who introduced him to accounting foundations and influenced him to develop a strong work ethic.

For his undergraduate degree, Dr. Khoza pursued psychology and comparative linguistics at the University of the North (now known as the University of Limpopo), excelling to the point at which he secured a faculty position. Simultaneously, his involvement in student politics and advocacy amid a turbulent socio-political landscape led to clashes with the university administration, which fired him in 1974. Forced to alter his academic trajectory, he joined Unilever and started a career in business.

After spending four years with Unilever as a marketing assistant and product manager, Dr. Khoza won a scholarship with Shell Oil South Africa to pursue a Master’s degree at Lancaster University in the UK. He subsequently returned to South Africa and worked with Shell until 1981, when he decided to establish his own marketing and management consulting firm. In the context of apartheid, Dr. Khoza explains how he had to keep a front of white South Africans to hold an office in downtown Johannesburg. He describes how this sobering experience motivated him to join a business organization called the Black Management Forum which supported upward mobility in the corporate world for Black South Africans.

Dr. Khoza proceeds to discuss the research of his consultancy firm, which primarily focused on corporate culture and emphasized Ubuntu – an African collectivist philosophy that he adapted to management practices. He describes how the philosophy, which encourages mutual learning and interconnectedness, helped him consult Eskom – the national utility company in South Africa. By cultivating teamwork, Dr. Khoza relates how Eskom went from a highly indebted company to one that was highly regarded for its corporate governance structure. He later became chairman of Eskom in 1997 and speaks about the company’s expansion from nine to 34 countries in the region.

To conclude the interview, Dr. Khoza reflects on his leadership positions at several South African universities and expands on the topics he has researched in recent publications. He explains how in 2007, the University of Limpopo – Dr. Khoza's alma mater that had dismissed him in 1974 – extended an invitation for him to assume the role of chancellor. In this role, he describes his approach as one that revitalized the institution over his ten-year tenure, raising funds and significantly contributing to academic growth. The primary themes of his recent books, on the other hand, have included business history in South Africa, the philosophy of Ubuntu as well as his views on the importance of spirituality in leadership. Elaborating on his concept of spirituality and destiny, he provides advice for young business leaders and suggests that focusing on one’s life purpose and mission will guide them towards success.

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