However, such a view overlooks the exceptionally important role which the buoyant state of the world economy arising out of a sustained period of low interest rates has played. In the absence of global economic buoyancy, the South African economy would not have been able to attract the capital inflows which have helped to sustain an exceptionally high level of imports, of both consumer goods and capital equipment needed for infrastructural development. Inflationary pressures are nonetheless exerting upward pressure on interest rates worldwide. In the light of the rise in interest rates domestically, together with the introduction of the National Credit Act, one expects growth in credit extension and consumers spending to slow markedly over the coming year. Fortunately, the pipeline a major infrastructural investment projects in the run-up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup, is likely to sustain growth at a relatively healthy level. However, even higher growth and success in making major inroads into unemployment will be very difficult to achieve in the face of an increasingly acute skills shortage which is unlikely to be solved in the medium term.

About the speaker

Dr Jammine has a BSc Honours in Mathematical Statistics at the University of the Witwatersrand . During the period 1970 - 75 he was employed as Investment Analyst at Senbank and subsequently at Stockbrokers Martin & Co, now JP Morgan, during which time he completed a B.A. Honours in Economics, Cum Laude, part-time at Wits. In 1976, Dr Jammine completed his M.Sc in Economics at the London School of Economics, followed by his PhD at the London Business School after which he was awarded a two-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Centre for Business Strategy of the School. Dr Jammine joined Econometrix (Pty) Limited in 1985 to take the position of Director and Chief Economist. He has occupied that position ever since.

Matthew Slaven

CEO of Touchmart

Self Service Credit Applications – The Old Mutual Bank Experience

Old Mutual Bank and Touchmart are piloting a self-service application process for customers to acquire OMB's credit cards using Touchmart's Oscar terminals. The solution is currently integrated to Experian's infrastructure using sms.check.

The pilot was motivated by a number of reasons that can broadly be categorised as follows:

The pilot is now being extended horizontally across other product lines and vertically into additional interactive customer service functionality.

The presentation will share some of the learnings and insights gained into the development and implementation of credit-capable self-service channels.

About the Speaker

Matthew is the CEO of Touchmart, a privately-owned business that he started in 2005 to facilitate access to online transacting for the mass market. Prior to that he spent several years at Nedbank where he was the product manager responsible for the retail credit and risk management systems, customer information systems and data warehousing. It was during this time that he first started thinking about the benefits of self-service in a retail credit processing environment. Matthew holds a B.Sc. in computer science and philosophy from the University of Cape Town and after a relatively brief stint as a software developer spent the first part of his career working in the financial markets with Lorenzani & Coogan Inc. where he was twice rated as the number one derivatives analyst in the country, and subsequently with Union Bank of Switzerland and Anglo American Corporation.

Phil Nolan

Director Bureau Centre of Excellence

Applications of credit bureau ‘value added products' in creating competitive advantage

An introduction to the evolution of value added products into credit bureau markets and their benefits.

This presentation will reflect on the history of Experian's credit bureaus, summarising their development from basic data services, to more complex and expansive databases.

This necessitated the move from information provider to decision enabler across many market sectors, to the extent that value added products now constitute over 50% of the revenues in some markets.

With overviews of its most successful and innovative products and how, through the use of appropriate case studies, Experian's clients have benefited from their introduction, this presentation sets out how competitive advantage can be gained and then sustained.

About the Speaker

Phil Joined Experian in 1994, after several years with a UK Consumer Finance business.

He has held a number of roles at Experian from strategic sales in the consumer sector to product direction of its application processing business - the largest value added product line in the UK . This role led to the development of Experian's market leading Customer Event Management System (CEMS), the single largest product investment ever undertaken in the UK .

Since June 2007 he has led the new Bureau Centre of Excellence team in the Emerging Markets Unit, working with clients, suppliers and business partners, across Experian's Global Business Lines to develop and help mature our emerging market credit information company's in to ‘best practice' Experian or joint venture credit information company's.

Michael Jackson

Panel Discussion Facilitator

Over the last twenty years Michael has worked with dozens of the world's leading companies, and has addressed conferences and seminars across the globe; to audiences ranging from factory workers to Heads of State. Once acclaimed by former South African President Nelson Mandela as “a national treasure”, Michael has an uncanny ability to connect with his audiences at a personal level, and is often referred to as a passionate champion of the business cause.

He is the owner and Managing Director of two pan-African specialist creative and forensic marketing consultancies, both headquartered in Johannesburg . He is also widely involved in the African media, currently presenting a weekly programme on pan-African satellite television. He has also been a South African Radio 702 and Voice of Soweto radio host, and a feature contributor to national weekend newspapers. Currently Michael also edits two magazines and writes a monthly column for ‘The South African' and British Airways' in-flight magazine, ‘Upfront'.

Gary Bailey

Game Plan 2010

As we look out of the window at the world that lies ahead, looming large on the horizon is the 2010 World Cup. Over half the world will tune in just to watch the final game alone, nearly 400 000 people are expected to tour South Africa during the few weeks of the competition, and estimates of GDP growth range from R20 billion to staggering figures that defy belief. The opportunities for companies in 2010 are not limited to external business, customer and profit-focused ideas.

There are also wonderful internal opportunities to motivate staff, transformation and diversity, and the development of talent. In addition, it is not all about what we as South Africans can get out of the World Cup, but also what we can do as organisations and individuals to put into it, and ensure the overall success of the event.

About the Speaker

Gary started his career at Wits University before joining Manchester United in 1977 and less than a year later he became their number one goalkeeper, playing 373 competitive matches and winning 2 FA cup medals. He played for England from 1978 to 1986, winning 17 U-21 caps, 2 B caps and 2 full caps, and was part of the 1986 world cup squad that made the quarter finals in Mexico . After retiring from professional football at the young age of 28, he returned to South Africa to play for Kaizer Chiefs for 2 years during which time the team won 5 trophies. Gary currently works at Supersport where he continues his passion for football by anchoring all the soccer shows. He has a BSc in Physics and an MBA from Henley in Oxford and was one of South Africa 's soccer ambassadors for the world cup bid. Gary is a motivating and enlightening public speaker and is also a superbly competent Master of Ceremonies , with a warm, engaging down-to-earth manner.