“Don’t tread on your own message” is both basic and essential to everyone, from governments to corporates, who needs to communicate. And since communications in all forms is the lifeblood of messaging the marketplace (both consumers and voters) that seems a no-brainer.
Except many in both realms (and elsewhere) ignore this truism.
Locally, the SA government recently published the latest iteration of the Draft Mineral Resources Bill which promises “enhanced regulatory certainty, streamlining processes, and boosting investor confidence.”
Talk about message-treading: No one in the investor and exploration business thought it would do anything but the opposite of its declared intentions: its onerous BEE requirements, the vast arc of ministerial discretion embedded in the draft, the effective expropriation of tailing operations were just some of the red lights flashing from the draft and informed commentary on the bill.
Midweek, the minister, Gwede Mantashe – midst industry responses – rowed back on an aspect of stringent BEE requirements for exploration, though other investor-negative clauses were retained.
As Ciaran Ryan writing in Moneyweb expressed matters, “Mining is now officially in recession after two quarters of declining output. The minister’s answer to this is more control.”
And if you go back to the longer picture the facts and stats are even more dismal: “In 1987 there were more than 600 listings on the JSE, with mining accounting for half of them. This was the engine that powered industrialisation of SA.”
The minister, Gwede Mantashe, having declared, contra all evidence that today mining is a ‘sunrise not a sunset industry’ here has dimmed the lights almost entirely: SA mining production today is 10% below what it was a decade ago and 20% lower than 20 years ago, the precise point at which government fundamentally changed the operating environment for mining companies. Some of this is due to the commodity cycle but much has to do with government policy. Today SA has just 0.8% of global exploration spend v Canada’s 19.8% and Australia’s 15.9%. The DA spokesman on minerals suggests that absent a step change in government thinking, even the current dire number could decline further.
Internationally, message-treading reached new heights last week when US President Donald Trump and his chief financial backer (and much else besides) Elon Musk had their epic fallout all of it livestreamed on social media. From “Elon is fantastic” (Trump) to “I love this man” (Musk on Trump) to vicious enemies in full meltdown mode.
But there is a wider message which emerges from this spat. On 6 June, in the financial journal, Forbes, Brent Gleesson suggested lessons to be drawn for business leaders, beyond Tesla stockholders and Trump believers:
“For business leaders, this episode highlights the critical importance of strategic communication and the potential ramifications of public disputes, especially when amplified by powerful digital platforms. It serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between corporate interests, political affiliations, and public perception in today’s interconnected landscape.
In this new era, the modern CEO must wear multiple hats—strategist, culture architect, and now, digital myth-buster.
The velocity of misinformation isn’t just a nuisance. It’s a reputational risk that, if left unaddressed, can unravel trust in a brand built over decades.
Strategic communications, properly applied, can mind this crucial gap. This requires both skilled practitioners and, crucially, in the realms of both politics and business, leaders who credibly message with consistency and purpose. And don’t tread on either.
– Tony Leon
Executive Chairman