The International Management, Business, Administration and Legal Initiatives (MBALI) Conference is the destination of choice this week for over 100 participants representing various higher education institutions, government and private sectors.
Attendees descended at the BON Hotel Waterfront in Richards Bay today (Tuesday, 29 July 2025) where the conference will be held until Thursday, 31 July 2025.
This key annual event is organised by the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law (FCAL) at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU). In the past nine years, it has become synonymous with advancement of knowledge and empowerment of emerging researchers. This year, the organising committee of the conference has chosen to focus on the continent’s high potential in the global knowledge arena, with the theme “Africa, a Beacon of Strength and Stability in Turbulent Times”.
Through this theme, FCAL hopes to not only spark a robust conversation around topical commercial matters such as trade tariffs and foreign policies but also provide a platform for devising possible ways of addressing these challenges through research.
Speaking to this theme, FCAL Dean Professor Lorraine Greyling likened Africa to a pantry – a room that is often the smallest in most households yet contains many resources. “I want us to look into that pantry and understand our resources and not think about resources from somewhere else. We have all the knowledge. We have all the strength. We have the indigenous knowledge. We only need to dig deep and think wider and think new. Then, we would be working for Africa,” she expounded.
These remarks were reverberated by Prof Nokuthula Kunene, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, when she ascended the podium to deliver her welcome remarks. According to her, the conference theme “resonates deeply with our continent’s narrative: a story of perseverance, innovation and progress”. She hailed the continent’s resilience despite economic instability, climate change, technological disruptions and rising inequality. Africa’s strength, in her opinion, lies in its diversity, creativity and unwavering resilience in the face of adversity.
“Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems and its resourcefulness can drive new models of sustainable development. Similarly, Africa’s young population, digital innovation and entrepreneurial spirit are framed as strategic assets. The future implying is where young people are equipped to lead through education, digital inclusion and economic participation. Our theme also invites us to reflect critically but also constructively on how Africa is navigating and responding to turbulent times. There is compelling evidence that Africa is not only adapting but leading in ways that offer lessons to the world,” Prof Kunene shared.
The first day of the conference was attended by Honourable Thamsanqa Ntuli, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, who shared the two speakers’ sentiments on Africa being uniquely poised to drive change in many of the globe’s challenges. He also lauded UNIZULU for its key role in furthering African scholarship, community engagement and innovation, and added that MBALI was a “testament to our intellectual renaissance”. For him, MBALI is a critical platform as it allows African academics to gather not to echo foreign paradigms but lead the global discourse to be the genesis of new knowledge.
The programme promises to be enriching with over 100 papers set to be presented on sub themes that include business and 4IR/artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and climate change, among others.
Senior Counsel Dr Muzi Sikhakhane and Dr Edwell Gumbo, Director of Entrepreneurship at Universities South Africa, are among the guests who are yet to grace this prestigious event.
Absa Group, a longstanding supporter of the MBALI brand, is also represented by some of its delegates in the conference.
– Naledi Hlefane
Pictures: Samkele Sokhela
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