The first-of-its-kind workshop on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in South Africa was organised by TRADE from 25 to 26 April 2017. The aim of the workshop was to deepen participants' understanding of the role of cross-cultural competency in international trade. Prof Henri Bezuidenhout, the only comprehensively CQ-certified person in South Africa, was the facilitator. The workshop addressed how cultural aspects influence the entire spectrum of trade, from international marketing to international logistics and even trade negotiations. Techniques for handling the transformation process in a culturally intelligent way were also discussed.

CQ has been deemed in many quarters to be the number one success factor in global business. It is not those who are well travelled and experts on protocol who are most successful in the global space; rather it is those who are capable of shifting effortlessly between cultural contexts. Harvard Business School and Oxford University's Saïd Business School have already implemented CQ in their international business programmes.