INTERVIEW WITH SAZI GCUME, FOUNDER & CEO
AT
ZIZI INSTITUTE PTY LTD Zizi Institute is a specialist financial
their personnel engaged, allowing
education company. We deliver
them to use their creativity in
Consumer Financial Education on
managing the programmes on offer.
behalf of financial services companies.
SAZI GCUME
We consider ourselves as a bridge
“Our programmes are delivered
between organisations that fund skills
as projects and therefore always
development and the beneficiaries.
present challenges that need creative
We offer these services across South
solutions. We allow our team to be fully
Africa.
responsible and accountable for their tasks”, Gcume explains.
Name: Sazi Gcume
A TRULY TRANSFORMED TEAM Transformation in the sector largely
“This allows them to celebrate
Occupation and position: Financial
depends on the services that are
their successes and learn from the
provided by state agencies. Many
challenges they encounter. We always
times these end up being ineffective.
try to create a conducive environment
Education Special and Founder First job: Financial Education Specialist
for personal growth, and this has “This has opened a lot of room for
yielded positive results for us.”
corrupt activities to take place.
Best advice and who gave it: The best investment you can ever make in life is to be debt free. This advice was given to me by my very first employer. Best business book read this year:
Regulation has also been used as a
The Institute veers away from
barrier to entry”, says Gcume.
hiring staff based on high levels of experience. Emphasis is put
“ It is very costly to run a business in
on maintaining alignment to the
this sector due to all the unnecessary
company’s value system.
The Bible
red tape. Regulations are not made to accommodate smaller businesses
“We help them develop the necessary
Way you relax: Laying back on my
to gradually grow while being active
skills on the job. This is not always easy,
couch and doing nothing
in the market. This limits the amount
but it has allowed us to develop a
of black owned businesses that
team that works well together and
Business philosophy (in one sentence):
can thrive in the skills development
that maintains the values of the
space, all to the benefit of larger
organisation”, says Gcume.
Focus your business on changing people’s lives and let the financial rewards of that be a by-product.
96
IMPUMELELO TOP EMPOWERMENT
organisations.” Zizi Institute believes in fostering a Zizi Institute is committed to keeping
2 1 st E D I T I O N
“transformed team”. Five of the six full