ASABA and Mbeki

I went to the `launch' dinner of ASABA last night. ASABA is the Association of South African Black Actuarial Professionals. It is still a small organisation, but seems to have the backing of the big guns. Thabo Mbeki was the key note speaker. His speech will apparently be on the presidency site on Monday (see the link).

He is a fairly dry academic speaker. Eloquently worded and with bits of humour, but mostly he read. I was somehow at the press table, and chatted with a journalist from `The Citizen', and to his Media Liaison official... that's how I found out about the website.

After being introduced with a brief CV, he opened by saying what the introducer hadn't said was that he was

`about to disappear over the horizon, never to be seen again'

Clearly not all that positive about any future roll.

As for ASABA, it allows membership for all unlike some other organisations aimed at promoting black professional development. In a small profession like the Actuarial one, it is going to be a tough task to attract the cream of the `Black Academic Crop'. There are far easier ways to make money far faster than becoming an actuary. There are lots of pros for the profession but it is a bun fight out there for black talent, and it is going to take a long time and lots of effort to get the equality ASABA is after.

But you have to start somewhere, and the support seems to be there.