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Mensches in the Trenches, "Susman Brothers"
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- Sound recording
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Biographical history
Jonathan Ancer is a journalist, who has held various positions on a
variety of publications: reporter on The Star, editor of Grocott’s
Mail and crossword columnist for the Cape Times. He has won awards for
hard news journalism, feature writing and creative writing. He is the
author of Mensches In The Trenches - Jewish Foot Soldiers In The Anti-Apartheid Struggle (2022), The Victor Within (2000), Spy: Uncovering Craig Williamson
(2017) and Betrayal: The Secret Lives of Apartheid Spies (2019).
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Interview by Jonathan Ancer with Simon Susman. Susman Brothers was a business partnership which today owns the very successful Woolworths retail stores. Much of the success of Woolworths has been in its greater understanding of humanity rather than authority. With their huge respect for people, they were pioneers in enabling black store managers in South Africa. This effort was supported by their philosophy of doing the right thing and not being pressured by the world around them. Government could not manage retail. Hence they were only interested in the mines. Retail was able to do what the world wanted to see because the government could not micro-manage them. David Susman believed business always has two responsibilities: the responsibility to make profit, and the responsibility to be a good corporate citizen. The Susman family supported each other and their business by the guidance, "what we can do, we should do extraordinarily well". Their exceptional management development is a result of their doing the right thing and then doing it unbelievably well.
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Donated by Jonathan Ancer
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Unless otherwise stated the copyright of all material on the Jewish Digital Archive Project resides with the South African Jewish Museum.