Former president Kgalema Motlanthe has urged black-owned companies to focus on growing the economy, rather than seeking empowerment stakes in established businesses. Motlanthe made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the Black Business Council (BBC)’s Annual Black Business Summit in Kempton Park on Wednesday. His speech focused on growing the South African economy through economic empowerment, re-industrialisation and localisation in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Motlanthe argued that the discourse on AI is ultimately about ownership of the means of production and black business should play a role in owning the new technologies. Motlanthe said this requires a shift in orientation, with the Black Business Council and the broader community of black-owned enterprises moving beyond transactional deals.