Following the success and rapid growth of its Flexible MBA in South Africa, Henley Business School, an international business school with campuses in Africa, Europe and the UK, has decided to offer its top-ranked Global Executive MBA in the country. For the first time this year, South Africans will be able to enrol in this exclusive degree, which is ranked 8th in the world by QS Global Trade Rankings, at around 70% of the cost of enrolling in the UK.
‘This is a big deal,’ says Jon Foster-Pedley, dean and director of Henley Africa. ‘The Henley Global Executive MBA is an exclusive transnational experience even by global standards. With a handpicked senior multinational cohort, study immersions in five strategic global locations, and individual executive coaching, the degree opens the door to turbocharging global executive careers.
The fact that South African candidates can access the degree via Henley’s Joburg campus at a local, rand-based price point makes it a game-changer for South Africans looking to distinguish themselves on the global business scene, says Foster-Pedley. ‘Our Global Executive MBA offers high-level learning and international insights to set up candidates' global C-suite careers.’
Global value, priced for African business
As a top international business school with deep roots in the local context, Foster-Pedley says Henley’s mission has always been to build the people who build the businesses that build Africa. For decades the school has offered African students its Flexible Executive MBA (structured over 30 months) at a highly competitive rand-based price-point. Students registered in South Africa can access this degree at half of the cost of enrolling in the UK. And if their budget and appetite permit, they can extend the experience by adding an international study visit.
‘The Flexible MBA degree is unique in Africa because it is dual-accredited by the United Kingdom and South African accreditation authorities, continues Foster-Pedley. ‘It is the only true international MBA qualification in the country and students are registered in South Africa but gain an international qualification when they graduate.’
‘This makes our Flexible MBA (with or without the international study visit) very competitive with local MBAs and, as a result, it has proven extremely popular among aspiring leaders wanting to navigate the complexities of a globalised world,’ says Foster-Pedley.
Henley has grown dramatically over the last decade from a small five-person team graduating just 30 MBAs out of Johannesburg per year to a thriving 100-plus team graduating almost 2,000 students a year across a suite of programmes. The school also recently expanded its footprint to Cape Town, opening a new campus in Woodstock, and accreditation for its Doctor of Business Administration degree is imminent.
Opening the door to a global C-suite network
The new Global Executive MBA is a substantively different experience and degree to the Flexible MBA offering. For starters, it is structured over 24 months for fast-track learning and is geared towards fostering an interdisciplinary and culturally fluid approach and focus, which is vital to prepare leaders at the C-suite level to be effective in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.
‘The five international blocks (two in the UK, one in Scandinavia, one in North America, and one in Cape Town, South Africa) provide students with a wide array of context and experiences, from Nordic innovation and the rich history of the United Kingdom to North American financial and tech markets,’ explains Foster-Pedley.
‘The South African cohort will join up throughout the 24 months with cohorts from the UK and Europe, making this a truly international experience. Because candidates come from exceptionally varied backgrounds, not only geographically but in terms of their fields of expertise and experience, the degree opens the door to a diverse, high-performance peer group rich in knowledge and networks. This is something that is hard to put a price on.’
The Global MBA is heavily weighted towards senior impact skills with individualised and personal senior leadership coaching. ‘Most candidates are already successful in business, they know what they are doing. Many have founded and built successful ventures or run large divisions in corporations or government. This programme offers them an opportunity to step outside their usual roles and responsibilities, to take time out to hone their capabilities, build their influence on the local and international stage and, crucially, deepen their understanding of cultural and socio-political complexity.
‘Aside from the recognised prestige that this degree offers, there’s really nothing to touch it in the South African market right now,’ says Foster-Pedley. ‘If you aspire to operate globally and remain relevant and connected in this day and age, you need a learning partner that can supercharge your influence at a global level.’
For more information on the new Henley Global Executive MBA go to https://www.henleysa.ac.za/henley-business-school-africa-mba-degree