Lewis takes manufacturing deep into next generation

When Michael Lewis accepted this year’s Kirsh Family Lifetime Achievement Award in Honour of Helen Suzman, he dedicated the award to his father, Stanley Lewis, whose legacy he lives by.

Much like the Lewis family, the Kirsh family, the sponsors of the award, have their roots in South Africa. Wendy Fisher, philanthropist and daughter of business icon Natie Kirsh, introduced the special award via video.

“The roots of our family run deep in the dusty soil of South Africa, which created the springboard for us to thrive and flourish around the world. This continent will always be our home,” said Fisher, before announcing the winner as her “great friend”, Michael Lewis.

Fisher’s father, 92-year-old Natie Kirsh took to the stage, accompanied by Dorianne Weil, to hand over the award.

Born into a multigenerational business legacy that began with his grandfather, Lewis is a renowned international businessman and chairperson of The Foschini Group (TFG) that boasts a legacy of 5 000 stores spread across 23 countries, employing more than 50 000 people worldwide.

Accompanied by a beautiful video montage of black and white fashion photographs from 1957, Lewis told the story of the beginnings of the family’s legacy. Taking the audience back to a time when his father identified Foschini, Lewis said, “My father spent the next 30-odd years pouring his soul into expanding Foschini into the many businesses that came subsequently.”

The Foschini Group Chief Executive Anthony Thunstrom said, “Over the past decade, TFG has almost singlehandedly revitalised the manufacturing industry in South Africa.”

Lewis proudly acknowledged that in an employment starved country, TFG is playing a vital role in expanding employment, both in numbers and in terms of quality of employment in a way that matters to South Africa.

His philanthropic pursuits include establishing a successful Department of Israel Studies at Oxford University. Said Professor Yaacov Yadgar, “Michael has singlehandedly transformed academic engagement with studies on matters of Israel, making Oxford University one of the leading players in the study of Israel.”

According to Lewis, it’s about doing something honourable where there’s a sense of fulfilment in the fact that you have contributed to society.

“TFG’s people, values, and culture are its greatest assets,” he said. “It’s with indescribable pride that the combined efforts of so many people over so many decades have resulted in the company my father always envisaged when he said, ‘I want to plant roots so deep that what I create will survive me and be an asset to society.’

“Safeguarding and building upon that legacy is what I care most about,” Lewis said.