What Cape Town Taught Me About Doing Business – My Part-time MBA Study Trip
In August, we announced that the Global Immersion Seminar – the international study trip of the Part-time MBA – was moving from Boston to Cape Town. The first class has now been there and back, hosted by our partner Stellenbosch University Business School. Here is what the week looked like from the inside, in Alex’s own words.
Other Markets, Other Rules: Doing Business in South Africa
The experience we had overall was very diverse. From tourist-heavy areas like the Waterfront to a visit to the Langa Township – we have seen a lot of what South Africa has to offer.
The township visit in particular shows how the poorer regions are set up. The people live under very difficult conditions, but manage to adapt their business models to the region they are in: small shops, services, and even art galleries that are highlighting the stories of the communities living there.
Taking this into account, we as Europeans need to understand that there are other rules in such markets, completely different from Europe / the “West” – so called “informal” businesses rule the majority of the region, completely separated from rules and regulations of the more formalized business structure.
The small companies we consulted as part of our Global Immersion Seminar assignment also struggle with similar challenges as I do at my work.
A Lesson in Resilience from a Cape Town Entrepreneur
We had an amazing mini-lecture by Rushana Hartnick from Little Mermaids Swim School, who has told an inspiring story about building up a swim school by herself, in a difficult part of town – and why the most important thing is being resilient towards the struggles you encounter as an entrepreneur.
Ready to take your career beyond the classroom? Discover how the HHL Part-time MBA fits around your job, from the program structure to the Global Immersion Seminar.
Together to the Cape: The Final Week of the Part-time MBA
The amazing community experience we had as part of the final trip together. The actual learning experience was one thing, but spending time with the class we had spent two years with at this point made it feel like the perfect combination of learning and hanging out together.
From exploring the city to climbing towards the Cape of Good Hope together – an amazing end to our MBA journey.
Key Takeaways from the MBA Study Trip to Cape Town
- Emerging markets run on their own rules. Understanding the informal economy matters more than applying a European playbook.
- Small businesses in Cape Town and companies in Germany wrestle with the same growth questions: clients, visibility and scaling without overloading people.
- Resilience isn’t a side note in entrepreneurship. It is what everything else is built on.
- Doing this as a class, not just in a lecture hall, turned the final week of the MBA into its strongest memory.
Thinking about a Part-time MBA that takes you beyond the classroom? Talk to our program consultant Stephanie Pleiss-Dietrich about the program and the Global Immersion Seminar.
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