How to Build an AI First Business | What AI-First Thinking Means for SME Development & Growth
In this episode of The Cutting Edge, Susan Moloisane (CEO of Edge Growth Solutions) sits down with AI expert Tanye ver Loren van Themaat and Jason Krause (CEO of Art of Scale - an AI-powered business scaling platform).
Collectively, they break down why South African SMEs can't afford to wait on AI adoption and provide actionable steps to start integrating and building AI-powered systems into your business that can deliver 10X growth - even if you know little about AI right now.
This strategy-packed discussion covers:
↳ Why businesses that delay AI adoption will permanently fall behind competitors (and how this affects employee retention)
↳ How to identify AI-ready employees who can drive transformation from within your organisation
↳ Simple frameworks for mapping your business systems before implementing AI solutions
↳ Why AI implementation requires rethinking your entire business model, not just adding technology
↳ The critical shift from "technology as afterthought" to "technology-first problem solving"
↳ How investors should evaluate businesses based on their digital transformation readiness
↳ Practical tools for teaching employees systems thinking and critical judgment in an AI environment.
🟢 Ideal for South African business owners, leaders, executives and investors in SME development who need practical strategies to implement AI without getting overwhelmed.
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58:21
The Untold Truth About South Africa’s Township Economy | Keys to Township ESD Success
In this episode of the Cutting Edge, Senior Programme Manager from Edge Growth Solutions (Mbuso Radebe) sits down with Township Economy Expert, Sifiso Moyo, to shed light on the R900 billion opportunity that most corporate ESD strategies miss completely within South Africa’s Township Economy. Together, they strip away common misconceptions about township entrepreneurship and reveal the strategic shifts needed to create genuine economic impact beyond traditional funding models.
This eye-opening discussion covers:
↳ Why the township economy is NOT just about spaza shops (and what sectors actually drive sustainable growth)
↳ How partnering with local intermediary organisations can dramatically transform your ESD outcomes
↳ How catalytic funding works better than startup capital for township businesses
↳ Why addressing infrastructure challenges must precede business skills training
↳ How to design sector-specific interventions that actually solve real township business problems
↳ Which successful township businesses exemplify scalable growth models worth replicating
↳ What the Township Economic Development Act means for your procurement strategy (and the opportunities most corporates miss)
🟢 Essential listening for transformation executives, procurement leaders, and ESD practitioners who want to move beyond surface-level township interventions and build sustainable economic ecosystems.
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1:03:31
Strategic ESD in Mining | A Masterclass in Building Resilient and Self-Sustaining SMEs
In this episode of the Cutting Edge, Nyaniso Rapiya (ESD & Preferential Procurement Manager at Seriti Resources) and Nabeela Vally (Business Development Head at Edge Growth) break down how mining houses can transform their ESD & SME Development initiatives from compliance exercises into engines of local economic growth. Collectively, they tackle the tough questions facing South Africa’s mining sector and share proven strategies that create resilient and self-sustaining SMEs.
This discussion covers:
↳ How to evolve your ESD approach beyond basic mentorship and funding
↳ Why traditional SME support models often fail to deliver sustainable growth
↳ Which metrics actually matter when measuring SME development
↳ Where to find opportunities for cross-sector collaboration
↳ When to introduce funding vs capability building
↳ How to integrate ESG principles into supplier development programmes
↳ What it takes to build SMEs that thrive beyond life of mine
🟢 Ideal for mining executives, procurement leaders, and ESD practitioners who want to move beyond tick-box transformation and build genuinely sustainable local supply chains.
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1:17:38
Unpacking the True Effectiveness of the ESD Ecosystem in South Africa ft. GIBS Business School
In this episode of the Cutting Edge, Edge Growth Business Development Manager, Nabeela Vally sits down with Adjunct Faculty and Practice Director at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) - Anne Cabot-Alletzhauser. Together, they delve into the very relevant outcomes of the recent study conducted by GIBS titled “Enhancing Enterprise and Supplier Development Ecosystem Effectiveness in South Africa,” they examine how misaligned goals, quick fixes, and fragmented collaboration often leave SMEs dependent on support instead of building toward sustainable growth. They also explore actionable strategies and opportunities to create a stronger, more effective ESD ecosystem that empowers SMEs to develop independently and sustainably.
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54:56
The Green Economy: Innovation as the Currency for Sustainable Development
Join the electrifying discussion as Chief Executive of Edge Growth Ventures Janice Johnston teams up with green energy experts to dive into the transformative green economy and its vast potential to drive sustainable development through groundbreaking innovations. Contributing to the conversation is Ziyad Cassim, the SA Country Representative for the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a collective movement dedicated to fast-tracking the green energy transition and eradicating energy poverty in emerging economies. Presenting a founder’s perspective is Tumi Mphahlele, the visionary co-founder and COO of i-G3N, a pioneering energy solutions company and leading lithium battery manufacturer. Together, the trio tackle the challenges and opportunities of transitioning towards a greener future.
Catch our conversations with future-focused corporate executives, senior leaders, impact investors and subject matter experts as we discuss the most influential topics at the forefront of ESD and SME Development in South Africa.
South Africa