The long awaited Johannesburg Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Symposium has finally taken place and it lived up to its expectation! In a room filled with over 550 participants, MMC Leah Knott opened the proceedings on Monday morning at the Johannesburg Theatre, reminding all of us of the important task of shaping the entrepreneurial space in Johannesburg. Highlighting the difference in challenges faced by entrepreneurs of today versus those of yesteryear, MMC Knott set the tone and enjoined the house to use the two days to deliberate solutions to our socio-economic challenges.
The entrepreneurs, most of whom the department had engaged in the seven regional economic summits preceding the symposium, were immediately enthralled and kept glued to their seats by Zipho Sikhakhane. Zipho is the first black South African graduate of the prestigious Stanford University in the USA; she is a dynamic and successful businesswoman who inspired the entire room with her journey of success.
The entrepreneurs were further captivated by the impressive line-up of speakers, who shared opportunities in their areas of expertise. First to take to the stage was Monalisa Sam, who spoke of green-tech, clean-tech and agricultural opportunities. Second to grace the stage was Vuyiswa Mtshwekwane, who set the house alight with her energy and great sense of humour and even greater business experience and insights in the property sector. The third speaker was Allison Graham, the managing director of Tourvest who shared her insight and myriad of opportunities that the sector presents in a city like Johannesburg. The line-up of speakers was not capped to these awe-inspiring businesswomen and entrepreneurs; Agnat Mokgoale and Dion Chang spoke of the endless possibilities available to us through the network society, ICTs and innovations taking root all across the continent.
The highlight of the event however was the Executive Mayor’s address to the entrepreneurs of Johannesburg on his life journey. This is a story of entrepreneurship that must be told to all budding entrepreneurs, quite simply because of the multitude of obstacles that the Executive Mayor overcame to be where he is today. By the time he went into business, in his early 20s, the laws against black entrepreneurs and businesses were so restrictive that most people would have given up at the idea stage. He overcame the barriers of apartheid, including his childhood of poverty, disruptions to his education and limited access to funding to eventually being able to build his business empire on the back of “one of the worst financial deals in history”, according to Mayor Mashaba.
True to the objectives of the symposium, the sector working groups focused on and developed a set of solutions and opportunities per sector that the City will consider as part of the review of the city’s economic policies and support to entrepreneurs. These inputs will be packaged and communicated to participants of the symposium, within the next three weeks. The department is laying the necessary environment for an entrepreneurial city. The challenge to the people of Johannesburg is being simplified: The city of Johannesburg will create the conducive environment for entrepreneurship to thrive; help us as entrepreneurs to grow the economy and create the jobs this city needs to reduce unemployment and eliminate poverty.