Henley Africa’s MBA is the only international MBA on offer in South Africa

Henley Business School – Africa’s (Henley Africa) Flexible Executive MBA s a highly sought-after triple-accredited international MBA programme. It is the only international MBA programme in South Africa and attracts those at the top echelons of business in South Africa and from the rest of the African continent.

It is accredited by the Council of Higher Education in South Africa at NQF Level 9 (a Masters Degree) and is one of the few business schools in the world to have passed the auditing standards of the three leading accreditation bodies – AACSB (US), AMBA (UK) and EQUIS (EU).

Henley Africa’s MBA offers students an intensely rewarding MBA experience that connects personal learning to current global business and management issues. Students develop a strategic, holistic and integrated perspective of business, organisations and management in a forward-thinking environment that surprises and challenges.

For Jonathan Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director of Henley Africa, and Dr Adri Drotskie, Henley Africa’s MBA Director, it was of critical importance that the MBA offered by Henley Africa was family-friendly. The MBA programme is, therefore, a part-time programme that runs over 30-months and provides enough flexibility that students have time for their families, other commitments and their full-time jobs.

The programme is delivered through a balance of face-to-face workshops, teamwork and virtual learning. It is ideal for experienced managers and leaders looking to develop their international management competencies. It comprises coursework, research and the writing of a dissertation. All MBA programme materials can be found online and students complete all their preparation work and assignments through an online portal.

Students meet in face-to-face workshops 10 times over the 30-month period where they interact with international lecturers from Henley UK. The rest of the time they work and study independently but with the support of Henley’s MBA team that comprises online tutors for coursework and a logistical support team for any other queries or issues.

To be considered for admission, prospective students need at least three years of management experience, an honours degree or equivalent professional qualification and access to company data for assignment purposes. Prospective students should also have been involved in some managerial activity such as shaping managerial decisions; coordinating the work of others in a team; holding responsibility for meeting financial targets that rely on the efforts of more than one person; a requirement to structure one’s own work activities to solve problems and deliver results; responsibility for improving the performance of people, processes or technology; a role that primarily achieves results through influencing others rather than through direct authority; and international work experience.

Drotskie says the majority of Henley’s MBA students have 20 years experience in the business environment, so entry into the programme is highly competitive. “The demands of an MBA require maturity, which is why the average age of our MBA students is 38 years.”

The Henley MBA gives students an in-depth understanding of all aspects of management and business. There are modules on leadership, personal development, managing people, finances, processes and systems, strategy, international business, strategic marketing, reputation and responsibility, social responsibility, brand strategy, strategic innovation and more. Students gain experience internationally through Henley’s immersive and action learning programmes.

Being an international qualification, all assignments and exams are sent to the UK for marking and assessment and are blind marked. “From the results our students receive, we know that our teaching is very much on a par with the world standard. Our students do very well. They are taught by local and international lecturers, who fly out from Henley UK, the business school of the University of Reading.

Students can also opt to include a creative module in their MBA. The ICE+ management programme serves to effectively build creative acumen for business people and business acumen for creatives. It is offered by Henley Africa’s School of Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship and is the perfect addition for those who seek to learn to innovate and use their creativity to succeed in business.

Students learn to develop new business models, experiences, service offerings, sales methods and financing options as well as new forms of partnerships and ways of using technology. Human-centred approaches to leadership are also explored.

One element that you won’t find in any other MBA curriculum in South Africa, and which runs parallel to all of Henley’s MBA modules is a Personal Development module.

“It is one of the things that makes Henley’s MBA very popular,” says Drotskie, “because you find that higher level people who have already achieved all they wanted to in their management careers come and do our MBA because they want to grow, self-reflect, and discover what their next steps in their career should be. During the course, they learn how the ‘self’ relates to the ‘we’ in teams and the larger organisation. Students are required to include a chapter on their personal development as part of their dissertation.

Once students have completed their MBA, they can move on to a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy or DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) degree, an NQF Level 10 qualification. Although the DBA is not offered at Henley Africa, it can be done through Henley UK.