BACKSTORY: Charlene Louw of the Beer Association of South Africa

Charlene Louw, CEO of the Beer Association of South Africa

What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?

Listen more than you speak. The most successful deals I’ve been involved in were successful not through forceful negotiation but through deep understanding. When you truly comprehend what drives the other party, such as their concerns, aspirations and non-negotiables, you create solutions that transcend traditional win-or-lose paradigms.

What was your first job?

My first professional job was as a candidate attorney (articled clerk) at a midsized law firm in Joburg. That represents more than just a starting point for me; it was a profound education in resilience, adaptability and purpose. It remains a defining chapter in my life, shaping not only how I work but why I work. 

How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it?

My first pay cheque was R5,000. At the time, the amount felt both exciting and humbling; it was the first financial reward for years of hard work and dedication to my studies. A significant portion went towards renting my first apartment. I also indulged in some frivolous shopping — a little splurge to reward myself.

What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?

I wish I had understood earlier that entering the professional world does not come with steady advancement of your career in an upward trajectory, and that excellent work is not immediately recognised and rewarded proportionally. I wish I had understood then that every experience, whether good or bad, teaches valuable lessons and shapes your journey. 

If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be?

We need to ignite a nationwide revolution of entrepreneurship. Small businesses aren’t just economic units, they are engines of hope, job creation and community resilience. In a country where unemployment is chronic, we must make it easier to start, fund and scale a business. 

What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?

I maintain a thriving vegetable and herb garden. Nurturing plants from seed to harvest provides me with profound lessons in patience and stewardship. There’s something deeply grounding about working with soil and feeling the tangible results of consistent care and attention amid the often-abstract corporate world. 

What’s the worst investment mistake you've made?

When load-shedding first began, I made a significant investment in a promising solar energy start-up. The timing seemed perfect. The entity had innovative technology and passionate leadership, and it was addressing an urgent market need as the country grappled with electricity shortages. I was convinced I had identified an opportunity others had missed, and invested substantial capital based on impressive projections. However, I overestimated my understanding of the renewable energy sector. 

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?

My best investment has unquestionably been in property — specifically, building the diversified property portfolio that I began assembling from early in my career. 

What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it?

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. It has profoundly influenced my leadership philosophy. The book challenges conventional notions of success and achievement by addressing the fundamental relationship between ego and consciousness.

What’s the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt?

You can’t outsource the difficult conversations. True leadership isn’t found only in strategic brilliance or operational excellence, though both matter. It’s found in those moments when you choose what’s right over what’s comfortable. 

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?

“That’s how we’ve always done it.” Nothing shuts down progress faster than this phrase. 

What is something you’d go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?

I would tell her that her impact won’t come from mimicking others’ leadership styles but from embracing her natural strengths, seeing possibilities where others see problems, building bridges between competing perspectives and having the courage to advocate for long-term value. I would tell her that the greatest accomplishment won’t be any single business achievement but creating ripples of positive change that continue long after she’s moved on. 

If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow?

I would initiate a skills and SMME revolution, anchored by two flagship initiatives: “Business in a Day” and “Skill South Africa”. Business in a Day would be a digital one-stop platform where entrepreneurs could register a business, open a bank account, obtain tax registration, apply for multiple permits and licences and access funding, all on one platform. Skill South Africa would aim to build a globally competitive workforce through targeted training for tech-driven sectors, enabled by public-private funding.