Entrepreneurs gather at the SBL

Delegates attended various workshops and lectures during the Joburg Entrepreneurial Day hosted by the SBL

The annual Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) Joburg Entrepreneurship Day, jam packed with information and assistance to young (and old) entrepreneurs was hosted at the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL) on Thursday, 16 November 2017.  The SBL in partnership with the Seda, the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa Soc Ltd (ECIC) and Facebook were responsible for welcoming and inspiring entrepreneurs and innovators upon attended the day on campus of the SBL in Midrand.  

The event followed a strategic partnership that was established between the SBL’s Centre for Business Leadership (CBL) and SEDA, with the CBL being one of SEDA’s learning and development partners. The key focus area for this partnership will be to identify the training and design of customised interventions for the capacity building of small businesses as well as community based enterprises. The CBL will draw on its extended academic capacity at the Unisa main campus in particular colleagues working on entrepreneurial initiatives. CBL will also be able to deliver its learning interventions across the entire country using its regional centres. In his address during the launch of the partnership the evening before the Entrepreneurial Day, Dr Oliver Seale, SBL’s Director: Executive Education, introduced the concept of the Gig-E Zone at the SBL that will become a hub of information and interaction for entrepreneurs and innovators at the SBL.

On the Entrepreneurship Day auditoria at the SBL was full to capacity as delegates attended workshops on areas such as access to markets, doing business with government, access to finance and township revitalisation and entrepreneurship amongst others.  Approximately 400 people attended the event which also included exhibitions by various organisations that specialise in assisting entrepreneurs and innovators with building their business case, providing financial support as well as help with the execution of the business plan and growing the business.

The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) was launched in 2008 in 77 countries and has grown to an annual event that is celebrated across the globe by up to 160 countries.  The event includes the participation of entrepreneurial experts, policy-makers, education practitioners and politicians with the aim to expose people to the benefits of entrepreneurship through different activities and to motivate them to explore their own entrepreneurial ideas. The week is dedicated to celebrate innovators and entrepreneurs. It is the world’s largest celebration of business, with over 35,000 events across the world. Activities are designed around those interested in starting a business of their own.  It also includes workshops in schools, information sessions and workshops.  An estimated 60 million people participate annually in GEW that provide the opportunity to unleash ideas and take the next step on their entrepreneurial journey.

Says Dr Oliver Seale: “This event marked the exciting launch of the strategic partnership with SEDA where were proud to host the SEDA Johannesburg Office’s Annual Entrepreneurship Day. The SBL endeavours to continue to partner with institutions such as SEDA on initiatives expose people to the benefits of entrepreneurship and to motivate them to explore their own innovative ideas.”