Henley To Offer Record Number of Scholarships in 2018

Henley Business School Africa will be offering a record number of scholarships in 2018 that will cover its international MBA and executive education programmes.

Dean of Henley Africa, Jon Foster-Pedley, said 2018 will see more scholarships than previous years and will include the Johnny Clegg Creative and Music MBA, the Dean’s MBA Scholarship as well as a number of executive education scholarships. “The MBA and executive education programmes include full and part scholarships. These programmes include the postgraduate diploma in management practice, which provides an entry to the MBA, and the advanced certificate in management practice,” he explained.

Henley Africa this year awarded their MBA Music and Creative Industries scholarships to Loyiso Bala and John Vlismas for their contribution to the music industry and to the arts and creative industries respectively.

Mr Bala, who received the Johnny Clegg scholarship, is a multi-award-winning South African artist, well-known for his contribution to both the local and international music industry.

Mr Vlismas also received Henley’s Creative and Music Industries MBA scholarship. He is well known for his outspoken and observational humour. His ability to understand and comment on political, social and economic affairs has earned him a broad fan base and growing corporate client base, as well as invitations to perform in England, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

A third 2017 MBA scholarship was awarded to Mariapaola McGurk who runs The Coloured Cube, focused on creating exhibitions and activations.

Johnny Clegg said: “I am honoured to be part of empowering artists through this scholarship, and working with Henley to share this opportunity with the right candidate.” “I trust that the scholarships will propel them on to great things in both this country and the rest of the world.”

Jon Foster-Pedley, dean of Henley Business School, said the MBA scholarships cover the full MBA course and include workshops with select groups of individuals focusing on developing their creative and innovative capabilities. The programme develops and grows the skills for creative and music industry leaders as well as business innovators and entrepreneurs.

“Marketing and business understanding have become the backbone of a successful career in the arts, but most creative undergraduate degrees are still craft-focused and exclude business modules. Creatives are left to figure out the business side on their own,” said Mr Foster-Pedley.

“There is a change in the business world. Creativity is being used not only in marketing but also for addressing business challenges. New creative ways of working are being implemented and encouraged.”

He said that creativity in business is integral to the future growth of SA managers. “But most businesses remain reluctant to be creative for fear of failure. But for those who do, the potential exists to create business growth and enhance employee satisfaction and retention.”

“With the Creative MBA we encourage students to think outside the box compared to traditional management styles. We find that allowing staff to be creative, even in the small areas of their responsibility, increases productivity, affects the company’s bottom line and can also provide a competitive advantage,” said Mr Foster-Pedley.

Barry Van Zyl, recipient of the 2015 Dean’s Music and Creative MBA scholarship, is busy with the programme and is now in his third year.

Mr Van Zyl has been the drummer for the Johnny Clegg band for the past 16 years and has toured extensively worldwide. He has worked with the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Carlos Santana, Annie Lennox, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Peter Gabriel, Soweto Gospel Choir, the Hothouse Flowers and the London Chamber Orchestra. He has lectured at Wits, Drumtech (London), CT University, University of KZN, SAE and Pretoria Technikon. His percussion scores can be heard on feature films like Tstotsi, Zambezia and Khumba.

“I am incredibly proud of Barry. His commitment to the MBA whilst balancing his whirlwind work schedule is very impressive. I have no doubt he will continue to thrive on completion of the MBA and make a positive contribution to the environments in which he works,” said Mr Foster-Pedley.