In the mists of time, the legend goes, Merlin, on behalf of King Arthur, ordered Uther Pendragon to construct a round table to accommodate 50 chairs to seat his noble barons, no one in a position greater than any other. And there they sat, all equals, all leaders… proposing, challenging, debating, reaching accords and solving the problems of the kingdom.

‘It was a beautiful and practical thought. It still is. Round Tables inevitably serve people well, symbolically and functionally, when they gather together in a mutual spirit to puzzle out a problem or construct a vision.’

(David Perkins. King Arthur's Round Table : How Collaborative Conversations Create Smart Organizations)

The idea of the Round Table is to bring academics, their students, financial services practitioners, government and civil society together at a small forum to share ideas. SASI has now held three such events – two at Rhodes University in Grahamstown and one at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

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