On Monday, November 14, the Global Entrepreneurship Network Africa (GEN Africa) announced Cape Town as the host city for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC+Africa) scheduled for September 13-14, 2023. Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC), which will also host the congress. GEC+Africa will be hosted in partnership with the Western Cape Provincial Government, Department of Small Business Development, Department of Social Development, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Tourism South Africa, Bank of Africa, Telkom and CiTi.
GEC+Africa 2023 will welcome over 1,500 delegates to the Mother City. These companies will include start-ups and small and medium-sized companies, investors, policy makers and organizations and companies that support entrepreneurship. With the presence of more than 50 African countries and other international delegates, the Congress promises to bring together key ecosystem players who play an important role in the development of SMMEs and startups on the continent. GEC+Africa is a GEN initiative and is a gathering of entrepreneurs and leaders from over 50 African countries who are committed to advancing entrepreneurial activities across their countries in Africa. In addition, GEC+Africa includes other global international thought leaders and professionals who have become part of the global GEN movement that promotes entrepreneurship as a tool to build economies and expand human well-being.
“GEC+Africa should be a game changer for South African entrepreneurs,” Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabni Abrahams said at a press conference. We must ensure that this congress provides an opportunity for our SMEs and startups to access various African markets and meet global investors with whom they can partner.
GEC+Africa 2023 will be a platform to strengthen Africa’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and find better ways to support entrepreneurs on the continent. “Over the past few years, we have seen the growth of entrepreneurs and their potential to enhance development,” said Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, adding that her ministry was finding ways to move from social grants to encouraging investment. is social entrepreneurship. Among its beneficiaries
Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Africa also hopes that the Congress will accelerate its vision to increase its footprint from 43 countries on the continent to 54 countries. Create platforms that foster coordinated, integrated and collaborative entrepreneurial ecosystems and support policies that foster sustainable growth for entrepreneurs on the continent. In addition, the GEC+Africa 2023 goals are aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) goal to support SMEs and start-ups with a special focus on industrialization, which will lead to job creation for the youth and explore the future of business. Is.
According to the Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Wind, Cape Town is one of the most famous cities for innovation and he stated that the city is really looking forward to welcoming thousands of innovators and entrepreneurs who will drive change and create much needed jobs.
The congress will be hosted by 22 On Sloane, Africa’s largest startup campus based in Johannesburg. Various congress leadership activities will also be held across the continent and the rest of South Africa.
Other dignitaries who graced the press release include but not limited to: GEN Chairman, Mr. Jonathan Ortmans, President of the US-Africa Development Foundation, Mr. Travis Adkins, Telkom Enterprise Supplier Development Manager, Ms. Mmathebe Zvobwo and the group Bank of Africa. Moderator: transformation and sustainability, Mrs. Edna Montse.
For more information, visit www.gecafrica.co
