Denis Opudo
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) brings together many investors, policymakers, researchers, startups and entrepreneurs from over 170 countries. The aim of bringing that group together is to find modern ways of assisting founders put up and rate new businesses globally. The 10th GES took place in Istanbul, Turkey.
South Africans took home three prestigious awards from that event. The Global Entrepreneurship Country of the Year Award was won by Department of Small Business Development. The department won it alongside its partners Africa’s largest start-up campus, and 22 on Sloane. Moreover, the group took home the Research Champions Awards and Brand Champions. The award was won during an event set to take note of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) nations globally.
The congress was attended by Lindiwe Zulu the Minister of Small Business Development together with her envoy. Minister Zulu lauded the group from South Africa for their dedication and commitment to promoting SMMEs in the country. It was a great step for the country to win the awards according to Minister Zulu. The team made the country proud since the awards were reflections of the country’s commitment to promoting SMEEs.
The 2017 annual congress took place in South Africa. During that event, President Cyril Ramaphosa talked about the role of cooperatives and SMEEs in the country’s economy. The larger part of economic growth relies on the role played by both cooperatives and SMEEs. The award was a good reflection of the standard of the South African SMMEs. This is because they managed to outplay all the participants from 170 countries. They have set the bar higher for other sectors in the country. All sectors should borrow a leaf from them and be confident that all can be achieved once the commitment is put in place.
