The company's founder, Mzoxolo Gulwa, talks to us about what gives PurpleGrowth a competitive edge.
With a few weeks left to go before the inaugural HR Indaba Africa conference, the anticipation from partners is palpable. In this article, we speak to Mzoxolo Gulwa, the founder of PurpleGrowth about why he is looking forward to the event.
What is PurpleGrowth, how long has it been around and what was the reason for starting the company
"PurpleGrowth is a consulting and training company that provides customised training and coaching solutions to clients across all sectors. We draw on deep knowledge, international experience and track records of established academics and industry practitioners to deliver value-adding and measurable interventions. We are a Level 1 BEE company, accredited by the Services SETA (Services SETA Accreditation No: 12704)."
"I started the company because I recognised that there is a major skill deficit in South Africa with an increasing unemployment rate that puts a lot of pressure on government and business to intervene. In order to close this gap, PurpleGrowth identified skills training as a solution that will render unemployed Youth, Women and Entrepreneurs competent to enter the marketplace."
How do you differentiate yourselves from other competitors in your space?
"We prioritise the design of interventions by leveraging our key collaborative partnerships. These partnerships allow us to draw on deep knowledge, international experience and track records of established academics and industry practitioners to deliver value-adding, action-learning and measurable interventions. There is great need to provide development support to businesses owned by youth, women and individuals with disabilities so that the businesses can grow from survivalist to sustainable businesses. PurpleGrowth aims to address this need with tailored training and business coaching interventions. We have realised that most of our competitors minimally provide support to SMMEs and people living with disabilities."
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Why have you signed up for the HR Indaba and what should attendees look forward to seeing from you at the event?
"We have signed up in order to exhibit and for people to learn more about our product and services. We look forward to meeting HR representations, building new networks and raising awareness about our brand."
What would you say is the biggest challenge facing the HR profession?
"'The organisation of the future has arrived now.' This quote from Deloitte's 2017 Global Human Capital Trends Report captures the main challenge organisations face today and this then translates into various HR and people challenges as well. As organisations are bombarded with radically shifting changes on a daily basis, these changes directly impact the workforce, workplace and the world of work in general."
"The pace at which technology continues to disrupt is causing the workforce to continually adapt. Employees are required to embrace innovation, become more creative and therefore think with more flexibility and agility. This is fundamentally changing the cultures of organisations."
"Traditional hierarchies are being replaced with networks and pods of teams who are empowered to get the job done. Employees have become more multi focused on adding value, they are no longer ring fenced to only thinking in their field of expertise. Jobs and skills are changing, this has led to a focus on real time learning and training where employees are able to build their skills set quickly and easily."
