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I couldn't have written this book without input from some truly remarkable people. F W de Klerk and Nelson Mandela were instrumental in creating an environment in which international competition has become a reality again. And South African business people are rising to the occasion. On my travels around the country, forward thinking delegates at my presentations have asked me: 'What's going to happen when overseas company's move in?' So, with the assistance of my final year B.Comm and Honours students from the University of the Witwatersrand, I set out to find the answers. This book does more than pose the questions that need to be asked. It provides the solutions. It's simple, easy-to- understand, down-the-line logical stuff. But it will be interesting to see how many of you will put into practice the defence and attack strategies you will need to ward off your international competitors. Judging by the response from people that I've spoken to so far, I reckon that there'll be fewer casualties than are expected. As with my previous books, my friend Esmond Frank is the backbone of this project. He puts the action into words, helping me sift through the material evaluate it and find the structure on which to hang the tale. To collect and examine more than 5 000 pages of primary and secondary research is one thing, but to collate it into less than 200 pages is an extraordinarily difficult task. That anyone can do it without Esmond is something that baffles me each time we put a book together. But we couldn't have put together my book at all without you, the delegates who attend my presentations. Thank you for your questions, your enthusiasm and your incredible hunger for knowledge. I've been invited to speak to people like you. The people behind the success of companies large and not so large. The venues have ranged from Spartan warehouses to plush convention centres, from five-star hotels adjoining casinos to game lodges deep in the bush. Wherever we've met, it's always been a pleasure to mix with talented individuals who are dedicated to doing things right. So, above all, I dedicate this book to you in the hope that you profit from the contents.
Peter Cheales
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