Family Business Unit Latest News

Celebrating Research Excellence - Prof Shelley Farrington

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

We are delighted to congratulate Prof Shelley Farrington on receiving the Best Presentation Award at the 11th Social Sciences International Research Conference (SSIRC), held from 8–11 September 2026 at the Hilton Resort, Mauritius.

Family Business Unit Scholars Recognised Among the World's Top Family Business Researchers

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Professor Elmarie Venter, Dr Welcome Kupangwa and Prof Shelley Farrington have been ranked among the top 2.6% of family business researchers worldwide represented in the 2026 Family Business Research Index.

International Engagement - Prof Elmarie Venter in Accra, Ghana

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Professor Elmarie Venter recently participated in the AFBS Conference in Accra, Ghana, which brought together family business leaders, scholars, and practitioners to explore the theme “Family Business Succession: Managing Tradition through Innovation.”

Colleagues from School of Management Sciences present papers at the 35th annual SAIMS conference

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Several members of the School of Management Sciences presented their research during the 35^th Annual SAIMS Conference 2024, which was hosted by the Department of Business Management at Stellenbosch University, from 8 to 11 September 2024 at STIAS (Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study).

Business Management professors earn top honours from SAIMS

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Mandela University’s Department of Business Management achieved notable recognition at the recent Southern African Institute of Management Scientists (SAIMS) conference in Stellenbosch. Prof Elmarie Venter and Prof Shelley Farrington were honoured with prestigious awards.

Prof Venter presented with lifetime achievement award – SAIMS

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Prof Elmarie Venter, from the Department of Business Management and Director of the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Southern African Institute of Management Scientists (SAIMS).

Prof Venter addresses the "softer" issues in family governance during the 2024 FPI Convention

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Prof Elmarie Venter of the NMU Family Business Unit was a panellist during the recent Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa’s 2024 Convention, which took place at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town on 14 August.

Winning team from the Nelson Mandela University Family Business Unit does it again!

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 22:00:00 GMT

Members of the NMU Family Business Unit and Business Management’s Dr Welcome Kupangwa and Professors Shelley Farrington and Elmarie Venter received the Best Paper Runner-up Award for their paper on “Transgenerational value transmission: Socialisation mechanisms in indigenous African business-owning families” during the recent 16^th International Business Conference (IBC 2023), which was hosted in Swakopmund, Namibia.

Dr Kupangwa participates in a virtual entrepreneurship engagement session

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 22:00:00 GMT

Dr Welcome Kupangwa was invited to a virtual engagement session on the 12^th of July, which the Nelson Mandela University International Office organised in collaboration with the Centre for Entrepreneurship at NHL Stenden University of Applied Science in the Netherlands.

Prof Farrington presents at the Student Entrepreneurship Practitioners Indaba

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 22:00:00 GMT

Prof Shelley Farrington was invited to present at the Student Entrepreneurship Practitioners Indaba, which took place on the 29^th and 30^th of June, 2023.