When we speak of people who live a life of service, the usual suspects tend to be teachers, nurses, social workers and librarians. But there are others. For three decades, Michelle Constant’s work in radio has made the world a lighter, brighter and more interesting place for listeners. The announcement that her voice will no longer define weekends on SAfm was followed by tributes, none of which adequately encompassed how much she has given of herself.
Radio loyalists may not be aware that her “real” work also serves humanity. As CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa, she helps protect over a quarter of a million livelihoods.
Constant accepted this position three years ago after completing her MPhil in corporate strategy at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. Her thesis, written during Covid, was on multisectoral partnerships and the role business plays in the wider world, focusing on the nonprofit organisation Harambee as well as Yellowwoods Ventures Investments and Nando’s.
She is adamant that businesses do not operate in isolation from the communities in which they are based. “We really need to stop thinking in silos and see that business has a part to play everywhere. I’ve always been a strategist. I like to join the dots, try to understand how everything fits together. I love that stuff.”
It irks her when people assume that she and her six-person team represent US interests. The chamber has around 200 member organisations, most of which are large multinationals.
“There are US companies as well as South African multinationals working stateside. Between them they employ close on 250,000 people. We are not working for the Americans, we are working for 250,000 South Africans. If you look at the multiplier effect, supply chains and so on, it becomes a really big value channel. So when something like British American Tobacco closes down, they might say 250 jobs are lost, but it’s not just 250 people: the impact is massive.”
The chamber’s work is threefold: lobbying and advocacy; networking and knowledge development; and fostering connections across Africa.
“In terms of advocacy and lobbying, we work with members of the South African government, with the US government here at the embassy, and with the US chamber in Washington. Our job is to support members that might have certain issues or questions about green papers that are coming out or bills that are going to become policy, to support their interests however we can.”
The second element involves multiple events. “Every week or fortnight we host something, for example Michelle Phillips from Transnet came and spoke to our members about policy changes, and someone from the department of trade, industry & competition spoke about tariffs. It’s a mix between networking and learning.”
The third area is making introductions and facilitating commerce all over Africa, “because we have sister chambers across the continent”.
Constant says this work is a far cry from her natural space — “I’m a generalist more focused on the creative and cultural industries” — but she is no stranger to business. For 10 years she headed Business & Arts South Africa, strengthening ties between the corporate and creative sectors. She remains a board member of Business Unity South Africa, the National Arts Festival and the Indlulamithi Scenarios Trust, and continues to chair the cultural committee of the French Institute of South Africa (the French government awarded her both the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite and the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres).
Her long-running weekend show on SAfm, The Jetset Breakfast, was taglined: “Small stories, big ideas, massive inspiration. Shifting the lens on your world.” All of that can still be applied to what she does now.
“Our vision is clear on the need to identify and protect available opportunities. In these shifting times there is no certainty, we are scenario-planning on a daily basis. The bottom line as to why the chamber exists, to my mind, is because it creates work, it creates jobs for more South Africans. I can’t talk about the world, but I can talk about South Africa, and my vision is to see more South Africans employed.”
Despite what The Buggles sang in 1979, video did not kill the radio star. When it comes to Michelle Constant, it appears that no challenge, geopolitical or otherwise, can kill this radio star’s tireless optimism and belief in South Africa’s resilience.
“People in this country love this country. We are one of the only countries in the world that has managed — as hard as it is — to get right a government of national unity. We are also one of the only countries that has managed to do public-private partnerships with the presidency. It’s remarkable.
“I always feel positive. Whenever I talk to any of our members and they tell me what they’re doing and how they’re doing it, I feel inspired.”
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