Throughout my 45+ year career in business I have been called many things,
but words I would like to be remembered by are disruptor, innovator, activator,
storyteller and authentic. Oh, and I am an optimist, by nature and by choice!
As I get older, I appreciate that old age creates the privilege of ‘being allowed’.
I believe that if you don’t use that privilege to speak your mind, you are
robbing society from an important voice. This belief is perhaps why i am so
passionate about critical conversations, underpinned by independent thinking.
I just love leaving an interaction with a view that is different to when it started.
Like most , my career progressed from the safe space of theoretical application
and technical expertise, to the real world where things were less certain, humans
were unpredictable and decisions had consequences…whether underground, in
markets, on farms, and in boardrooms across the world.
My contribution to the industry is rooted in one conviction: clarity changes outcomes.
This is true, across the board; from THINKspiration to gold mining, from
manganese beneficiation, to Ankole farming Be it mentoring future leaders, or
chairing the Resources for Africa’s Indabas orblogging about mining, the sentiment
remains.
Be it as a husband, and partner to my wife and closest ally Tracey Swanepoel, or as
father, or businessman, I measure success not by what I have built, but by the
opportunities that I create for others.
ZBS is the portfolio of businesses and platforms I am actively involved in; spanning
the mining industry, agriculture, leadership development and public discourse.
I am Z.B Swanepoel, and this is what I represent and where I choose to invest my
time, energy and reputation.