Research emanating from business schools is, arguably, essential for business and economic growth. It provides evidence-based insights and practical frameworks that help leaders to make more informed decisions, while helping to identify opportunities and mitigate risks. This is particularly important as Africa’s continent-specific research has lagged that of the Global North. Over the last 25 years, however, GIBS has contributed meaningfully to the body of research on the African business environment.
While academic articles provide rigorously researched examinations of the business environment, case studies provide invaluable practical insights into the challenges African organisations face and how these can be overcome. Case studies are a classroom tool that provide discussion and analytical points for students to consider and debate. In this edition of Acumen, we review three academic articles and three case studies that have come out of GIBS in 2025. All of these pieces of research offer practical insights around the complex African business environment. We asked the authors to share their insights around the research.
ACADEMIC ARTICLES
Enhancing Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Drive in Africa: Do Digital Technologies Matter?
Authors: Motshedisi Mathibe and Clement Oppong
Journal: Business Strategy & Development
Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70202
Africa leads the world in mobile money and fintech, yet too many people, including small businesses, remain outside formal finance, says GIBS Professor Motshedisi Mathibe. She says, “In this research, Clement and I wanted to test - rigorously - whether digital technologies are actually moving the needle on both financial inclusion and entrepreneurship, and under what conditions.” She highlights that financial inclusion is about growth as much as equity and says, “Inclusive digital finance opens new markets, de-risks value chains, and strengthens resilience across sectors.”
Key findings: - Digital technology adoption shows a strong positive link with entrepreneurship and significantly lifts financial inclusion across models.
- Inclusion builds on itself, meaning once people start using formal services, usage deepens.
- Some innovative financial products correlate negatively with inclusion - signalling a mismatch between product design and real user needs.
- Regulatory/institutional support, which is helpful for entrepreneurship in some contexts, can inadvertently hinder inclusion.
- Mathibe says, “What struck me most was the evidence that digital technologies don’t just improve access to finance - they actively enable entrepreneurship. In many African contexts, mobile money and fintech solutions provide the very first ‘gateway’ into formal business activity.”
This research offers extremely practical insights for everyone involved in the digital financial landscape, from users to platform designers, says Mathibe. She lists four practical ways it can be applied to business:
- Build technology with users, not for them.
- Embed digital into all value chains.
- Corporates, fintechs, and multinational organisations should partner to go farther and they must use regulatory sandboxes (controlled environments) to pilot safely.
- Invest beyond apps, especially outside of developed metros.
This research enables businesses to reimagine their role in the financial ecosystem. “It’s not only banks or fintechs that benefit - retailers, agricultural players, and even large corporates can integrate digital finance into their value chains,” says Mathibe. For example, businesses can leverage mobile payment systems to reach customers in remote areas, or develop partnerships with fintech start-ups to create tailored financial solutions.
Exploring the Green Purchase Intention-Behaviour Gap Among South African Millennials Using an Expanded Planned Behaviour Model
Authors: Boitumelo Mabaso, Christian Nedu Osakwe and Abdul Bashiru Jibril
Journal: Cogent Business & Management
Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2538715
Deloitte consulting manager for project and programme management Boitumelo Mabaso says, “Christian, Abdul and I conducted the research because climate change is a real problem worldwide including in South Africa. We questioned what individuals can do to practically help fight climate change?” The obvious answer is to buy green products. “Yet, both our anecdotal observations and existing work suggest that many consumers talk about buying these products but rarely do so,” he says.
Key findings:
- Consumers’ willingness to pay more for green products and their perceived consumer effectiveness (the customer’s belief that their actions can make a positive contribution) did not significantly change how their intentions turned into actual purchases.
- Simply saying that they are willing to pay more and believing that their actions matter does not automatically translate into the buying of green products.
- Businesses that sell green products or promote green consumerism need to stop assuming that consumers’ willingness to pay more for green products and that the social pressure of “everyone is going green” will result in the increased sale of green products. The study found that those factors did not meaningfully change whether people actually bought green products.
The research offers practical advice for businesses and marketers who sell or promote green products. Mabaso says, “Business leaders should focus on providing clear, honest information, raising awareness and avoiding any form of greenwashing, which is the misrepresentation of information to promote green products by making them seem better than they actually are.” He stresses that green products must be easy to find, reasonably priced, and have a perceived quality that is equal or better to non-green alternatives. He says, “When customers have a positive attitude and feel that choosing green products is easy, their intention to buy increases and is more likely to result in actual purchases.”
In addition to green business leaders and marketers, Mabaso says the research helps policymakers and sustainability organisations design more effective consumer programmes. Ultimately, if green purchasing becomes easier and more common, it will go a long way in supporting and protecting the environment.
Exploring Men’s Perceptions of Implicit Bias and Exclusion on Women’s Advancement to Senior Leadership Roles
Authors: Beverly Rajha and Michele Ruiters
Journal: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
Link: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v28i1.6193
“Bev’s and my research focuses on the perspectives of men on women in the workplace,” says GIBS senior lecturer Dr. Michele Ruiters. “This is an important perspective because women mostly report to men and are dependent on male managers to put their names forward for promotions,” she adds.
Key findings:
- Organisations are gendered and are a representation of social norms and cultural hierarchies.
- The cultural expectations confirm that women are still bound by socio-cultural demands from society and family. No matter how well women do in terms of numbers in senior positions, the expectations from society and family continue.
- Male validation is part of the culture of the organisation as women seek or flourish from the validation of men in senior positions. The organisation perpetuates the social norms of valuing the perceptions and perspectives of men over those of women.
- In terms of sponsorship and mentorship, women who have males in those roles often do better in their careers than those who have female sponsors and mentors.
This research offers practical insights for business leaders and people involved in human capital. Ruiters says, “When choosing mentors and sponsors, human capital specialists should brief those people about the bias that is built into the business. Bias is in every business, and it must be made evident and conscious.” Ruiters adds that senior male leaders can be allies of female team members by speaking up and not being silent bystanders in social and professional conversations about female colleagues. She stresses that the culture can be changed by people being aware of bias and of the impact of silence in the presence of unfairness.
This research will benefit companies and leaders, especially male leaders, who are interested in true inclusion and belonging. “If the leader believes in inclusion and belonging, they will be interested in how men’s perceptions can hamper women’s inclusion and belonging in the workplace,” Ruiters concludes.
CASE STUDIES
To Relocate or Resurrect: A South African Textile Factory in Distress
Authors: Lisa Kinnear and Mbongeni Ndlovu
Publisher: Harvard Business Review’s Harvard Collection
Link: https://store.hbr.org/product/to-relocate-or-resurrect-a-south-african-textile-factory-in-distress/GIB037?srsltid=AfmBOop2LU4l19e5oVMlI9PIW_XmEQ-yl064FzZvOtUM5m2egmY6D9IE
“Mbongeni and I studied this case because we want to tell stories of African and South African protagonists who are dealing with the real, messy complexity of doing business in volatile environments, such as Hammarsdale in KwaZulu-Natal,” says GIBS senior lecturer Dr. Lisa Kinnear. She adds, “These are the leaders and leadership challenges that our students identify with, particularly in the manufacturing sector, where organisations are deeply embedded in the social environment.”
Kinnear explains that the Global North cases that we often use in MBA classrooms don’t necessarily reflect the leadership dilemmas that African students face. In this instance, Stephen Mabugana, the case’s protagonist, is faced with the breakdown of social cohesion through acts of xenophobia that not only deeply affect his business but also call into question his own leadership purpose for being rooted in that community.
Kinnear says, “For Stephen, it was not just a business decision to ‘pick up and go elsewhere’ when the going got really tough, it also involved some serious soul searching around the reason for starting the business, as well as the practical considerations of ensuring a sustainable operation for all those invested in the organisation.”
Key takeaways:
The case offers a contextual lens for African students in classrooms, and the Global South in general, but there is also a lot it can teach students in the Global North about the broad range of unpredictable and interconnected dynamics.
It is a useful case study for students who want to be entrepreneurs. Positioning an organisation competitively in the emerging market context requires an understanding of all the interconnected economic, social, and political dynamics at play, but these are often difficult to separate from personal attachment to the issue.
Kinnear concludes by saying, “Traditional business theories can only go so far in the analysis and reviewing of contextual leadership challenges. The case gets students to critique the theories and adapt them to be more relevant to the African continent.”
Stronger Together: The Springboks’ Journey to Redemption
Authors: Marianne Matthee, Alicia Fourie and Hayley Pearson
Publisher: Harvard Business Review’s Harvard Collection
Link: https://store.hbr.org/product/stronger-together-the-springboks-journey-to-redemption/GIB029?srsltid=AfmBOorGoqsMRhK5ujmshPy7t3ZJQ4LtBu2BLhJ9k3JhSKc0K2FLK9WH
The Springboks’ 2023 Rugby World Cup journey offered a valuable opportunity to study leadership, purpose, and performance under pressure. The Springboks were not playing for themselves. They were driven by a prosocial purpose: to unite South Africa and to give the country hope. “This sense of service shaped how they led, collaborated, and performed. For African business leaders, this matters deeply. In environments marked by complexity and change, success increasingly depends on purpose-driven leadership. The kind that builds trust, cohesion, and commitment to collective impact rather than individual gain,” says GIBS Professor Marianne Matthee.
Key findings:
- Psychological safety is foundational. The Springboks’ ability to perform under immense pressure rested on trust. Players could question strategies, express doubts, and give one another honest feedback without fear of judgement. That openness enabled the team to adapt and improve continuously.
- Shared leadership is critical. Leadership was not concentrated in one individual but distributed across a core group of players and coaches who modelled accountability, mutual respect, and humility. This collective approach strengthened decision-making and cohesion.
- The team’s prosocial purpose was a defining factor. The Springboks were not playing for personal glory or even just to win a trophy. Their purpose was to unite and uplift South Africa. That sense of serving a greater cause created emotional energy and resilience that carried them through the toughest moments. It serves as a reminder that the most exceptional teams are anchored in a purpose that extends beyond themselves.
Matthee says, “The Springboks showed that when purpose, trust, and shared leadership come together, teams can achieve extraordinary outcomes, even in high-pressure, high-stakes environments.”
This case study will benefit leaders, managers, and teams across sectors, particularly those navigating uncertainty, change, and complexity. Matthee says, “It’s especially relevant for African business leaders, who must often mobilise diverse teams toward shared goals in challenging contexts. Beyond leadership, it also offers valuable lessons for any group seeking to align its performance with its purpose.”
BMW South Africa: Business Model Transformation of Luxury Automotive Retailers in an Omnichannel Sales Environment
Authors: Raeesa Nagdee, Tracey Toefy and Louise Whittaker
Publication: Harvard Business Review’s Harvard Collection
Link: https://store.hbr.org/product/bmw-south-africa-business-model-transformation-of-luxury-automotive-retailers-in-an-omnichannel-sales-environment/GIB023?srsltid=AfmBOop4Uxm9pIRsvGR7ac7EfyYrA-w9z1P_DoG7jIyvzQduq6HI4WHb
“I worked on this case with GIBS MBA alumna Raeesa Nagdee and Prof Louise Whittaker,” says GIBS lecturer Dr. Tracey Toefy. The case focuses on how BMW South Africa piloted the new retail sales model, which was to be rolled out globally. Toefy says, “It was a great opportunity to tell the story of how changes in customers’ shopping behaviour led to business model transformation at BMW globally.”
Key takeaways:
- Dealers had their traditional value proposition to their customers removed, meaning they had lost control as they did not have the freedom to set prices of vehicles.
- The case highlighted the importance of understanding changes in the external environment and responding appropriately.
- The pilot by BMW South Africa also provided very valuable insights ahead of the global rollout.
Practically, the case study will help business leaders to understand the customer journey more comprehensively. Toefy says, “Omnichannel retail is a reality for all retailers, not only in the automotive sector. Customers have access to a lot of information before they set foot in store, if they ever do! Business leaders need to recognise their role in the customer journey, and consider how best to create value for their customers.”
The case will benefit anyone embarking on business model transformation.