This paper explores certain management, development and economic issues relevant to the discourse of the MBA programme and its teaching in South Africa and Africa as a whole. It attempts to situate the discourse within the realms of broader debate that permeates its relevance to both management and its wider and broader role in developing societies and to development in general. An attempt is made to project on both positive and negative aspects of certain salient issues that need elaboration and understanding by academics and Business Schools in South Africa. It will also attempt to briefly explore some nuances relevant to entrepreneurship within the context of the MBA programme and, other important aspects that may need some attention by academics and Business Schools in the formulation of their MBA programmes and the contribution that Business Schools can make to higher education. The paper used articles that have been published in the popular media, in business magazines and relevant textbooks and does not pretend to capture all issues that may be relevant to the MBA, nor does it pretend to exhaust in any detail the issues that are explored in this paper. The primary aim of the paper is to stimulate discussion and debate for purposes of enhancing the MBA programme as a brand, in an attempt to strengthen its importance and relevance to management and development within the framework of relevant higher education discourse. This paper as a starting point will posit and argue from Samantha Crous’s perspective that “Africa needs own people solutions” (July, 2012), and on the other hand will briefly explore the comments made by Mamphela Ramphele (August, 2012) that the “Time for radical change in education,” has arrived. Issues in relationship to human resources in the context of development will be explored and the article – What’s the point? which appeared in the Financial Mail by David Furlonger (July 20, 2012: 32 -34) will be reviewed and the relevance of the entrepreneurial discourse to and within MBA programmes will be discussed very briefly and elaborated upon.

This paper explores certain management, development and economic issues relevant to the discourse of the MBA programme and its teaching in South Africa and Africa as a whole. It attempts to situate the discourse within the realms of broader debate that permeates its relevance to both management a...