Digital transformation is the focal point of the Johannesburg Business School MBA program. Acting Dean Adri Drotskie shares how entrepreneurial students benefit from that focus and a flexible online-offline study plan.
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Johannesburg Business School, also known as JBS, is the business school of the University of Johannesburg. The city of Johannesburg is the financial and economic heart of Africa, and the largest city in South Africa, making it a dynamic and exciting place to study.
JBS moved to a new, green, and smart campus in 2023. The campus is fully equipped with smart work areas and state-of-the-art technology that enables hybrid learning.
With a forward-thinking teaching philosophy that focuses on innovation and digital transformation, JBS prepares students to lead in a rapidly changing world. Its perspective is pan-African, and it aims to bridge the gap between present and future, between classroom and workplace. An environment that propels students to become authentic, forward-thinking leaders.
MBAGRADSCHOOLS spoke with Adri Drotskie, Acting Dean and Academic Director, to find out more about the school’s innovative MBA program.
JBS offers two MBA program formats to suit different student lifestyles and study preferences. These include:
In addition, they also offer a post-graduate diploma, which stands on its own or can serve as a way for students to prepare for MBA admission. The post-graduate diploma and the JBS MBA programs are offered online as well as in-person on campus. The MBA programs are part-time, completed over two years. Even the in-person MBA program has some online elements. That flexibility aligns with the school’s digital focus.
“You can actually, as we call it, hop on and hop off in between, until you have completed all the modules necessary,” says Adri. (01:55)
The school strives to ensure the same quality experience for those studying online and those who study on campus.
The MBA – Contact format takes place face-to-face on the cutting-edge JBS campus. Choose between the “Weekender Stream” with Saturday sessions, or the Early Bird Stream, with two morning sessions a week.
In this format, you can focus on either specialization: General Management or Digital Healthcare Management. The latter equips students to lead digital healthcare initiatives to solve the many challenges faced by South Africa’s public healthcare sector, and beyond.
The JBS MBA focus may be on digital innovation, but the human aspects of business remain a top priority. Professors come from local and international business spheres, and a team of experienced leadership and executive coaches provides one-on-one support. This engagement with respected practitioners opens up opportunities for graduates across Africa and the globe.
The MBA – Online format takes place fully online, while students also benefit from exposure to networks across the globe.
The program offers electives that allow students to specialize in their area of interest. These electives include Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation, Leadership, Healthcare Management, and Digital Transformation.
All students complete a Capstone Project that requires them to address a real-life business challenge and develop a feasible solution.
Many JBS students are already entrepreneurs. Some have their own businesses, and others come from industries including banking, mining, services, and the public sector.
“We feel that whether you are an entrepreneur, or you are a manager, or a leader in a big corporate, you should have the same skills. Because you need the same skills like strategic thinking, problem solving, [and] critical thinking,” Adri says. (03:26)
Those skills are transferable to any business environment. Importantly, they can empower students to start their own businesses, building upon a mindset they may already have.
“I think there is a very big entrepreneurial spirit” in Africa, Adri says, adding that people are “very creative and very innovative…It’s in the culture in a big way.” (04:41)
Many students have a small business they are trying to grow while they pursue their studies part-time, Adri says. The program gives entrepreneurs the tools to strategically plan their businesses, making them more sustainable and boosting their societal impact.
JBS values entrepreneurship and gives students the tools to become entrepreneurs who drive impact. The school brings its digital and entrepreneurial focus together in its Centre for Entrepreneurship, which builds “future-fit,” digitally empowered entrepreneurs.
Some students who were more traditionally employed often decide to leave the corporate world to start their own businesses after completing the JBS MBA.
JBS prides itself on its partnerships with institutions around the world and offers an “international immersion” experience in the form of an International Study Tour Elective to in-person MBA students. (05:27)
This year, students went to Lithuania to study at a local university, visit companies, and conduct research projects with Lithuanian counterparts. These trips offer two-week immersions in a country of your choosing. Past destinations include China, Argentina, India, and Kenya. During the trip, students visit companies, other business schools, and even government agencies.
JBS also offers student exchange programs, and lecturers also come and go from abroad. “We need to be part of the global world, and we need to get exposure on what the challenges are in the world and also bring that into the context of our qualifications,” Adri says. (06:03)
The visits and exchanges enable JBS to integrate learnings into the curriculum. That keeps it up to date with global developments, while providing a uniquely African MBA experience.
Digital transformation isn’t something you learn as a separate subject at JBS. It’s integrated into every module and into the way professors approach every subject.
Adri shares, “Digital transformation is not something that’s a standalone. It’s more of an enabler in an organization… it’s incorporated in the thinking, and also future thinking and forward thinking,” she adds. (06:48)
Some module topics that illustrate that emphasis include, among others:
• Emerging technologies of the future
• Advanced e-commerce platforms for entrepreneurship
• Ethical leadership in the digital economy
• Competitive strategy: Winning in the digital marketplace
• Operations and supply chain management for the digital age
• Advanced digital marketing
• Digital technologies: Cloud computing, mobile, artificial intelligence, and more
The consistent digital focus ensures the JBS MBA program stays abreast of the disruptive technologies that are changing our world.
JBS ensures the content stays current, but an MBA remains relevant as it is, Adri says, calling it a “proven recipe.” (07:36)
It’s valuable in Africa as the “ideal qualification” for professionals who want to gain management knowledge and leadership skills, she says. (08:21) In the South African context, where unemployment is high, an additional degree is highly valued.
At JBS, professionals, including medical doctors, lawyers, and engineers, often choose the MBA program. “This is the ideal qualification for them to then go and open their own business,” says Adri. (08:32)
At JBS, students learn entrepreneurship, leadership, and management in the context of the digital world. It’s a flexible program that prepares them for an exciting future. Considering an MBA in South Africa? Explore Johannesburg Business School.
Do you want to specialize in something specific? Find out more about the Specializations in various MBA programs across the globe.
