​Recently, USB director Prof Piet Naudé hosted the executive chairman of the Cape Union Mart Group, Philip Krawitz, at a USB Director's Table*.

In his wide-ranging talk, Krawitz explained how the business was started, what kind of books he reads, what challenges South Africa is facing and how he reckons it can be dealt with, as well as what he has in common with the late innovator Steve Jobs: "We are both university drop-outs."

Guests included the CEO of the Cape Town Partnership, Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana, Santam chief executive Lizé Lambrechts, and the director: Corporate Affairs at Distell, Vernon de Vries.

Krawitz emphasised the importance of believing in South Africa.

"If we live in this country we'll have to help it fulfil its potential. For too long we've ignored the true wealth of South Africa that resides in the quality of our people," he said.

On appointing his successor as CEO, he said it was important that such a person should be better than him to ensure growth. Krawitz said he and his CEO, André Labuschagne, who also attended the Director's Table event, "have a relationship based on absolute mutual trust and respect".

* The USB Director's Table series of events with top executives in business was initiated by the Stakeholder Relations Division of USB in 2015, and is held every quarter.