From March 13–14, Cape Town will play host to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC+Africa), which will be hosted by Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development.
To promote entrepreneurial activity on the continent, the Department of Small Business Development has teamed up with 22 on Sloane and other public and private sector entities to host GEC+Africa 2024. GEC+Africa brings together practitioners, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs who have joined the global movement to promote entrepreneurship as a means of creating jobs and increasing access to a better life for all.
It is anticipated that more than 1,500 delegates from more than 50 African countries will attend the congress. This will comprise new businesses; small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs); investors; decision-makers in government; and groups that encourage the growth of entrepreneurship.
The Department of Small Business Development claims that GEC+Africa will serve as a venue to highlight the noteworthy strides the nation has made in turning out some of the most creative and prosperous businesspeople on the continent. The department released a statement saying, “South Africa has one of the most mature startup ecosystems in Africa, with stronger supporting institutions.”
According to the department, “the Department of Small Business Development will continue to work with its partners to strengthen the nation’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and to create an enabling environment for the growth and sustainability of small enterprises.”
GEC+Africa will seek to achieve some of the following objectives:
• Support the development of innovative startups and SMMEs in Africa.
• Create an enabling environment for African entrepreneurs to create jobs.
• Create market linkages for African start-ups and SMMEs.
• Support the development of a credible global investor pipeline that will invest in African start-ups and SMMEs.
• Establish a strong GEC-affiliated organization in each African country to build and strengthen its entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Leave a Reply