Rinchi
TechInAfrica — According to the National Development Plan, 90% of the 11 million new job opportunities will be created by 2030. These 90% job opportunities are expected to come from small to medium sized of businesses. The National Development future predicts that the small business sector can hire up to 70% of the nation’s working population.
The first Africa Tech Conference for business innovators and accelerators focuses on preparing technical aspects and repositioning the sector to improve the opportunities of the fourth of Industrial Revolution.
The Minister of Small Business Development, Lindiwe Zulu speaks up about the major need to lower the crippling effects of government regulations on small business growth in the technology revolution. She states:” Africa is no longer playing catch up with the rest of the world, we are competing with it. And we are competing in a digital economy with a rate of change faster than the world has seen for the last 300 years.”
Ayabonga Cawe, an economist and entrepreneur says, “This conference responds to the need to streamline and consolidate the best practice models of business innovation and incubation. It is important for an organization like SABTIA to unify the voices within the ecosystem and advocate and agitate for ecosystem interventions that will strengthen the interface between the different players and hold these stakeholders to account.”
Cawe continues, “Success starting to look fundamentally different. It’s no longer brick and mortar. It’s a lot learner, more diffuse and a lot more geographically disperse. It’s an exciting environment which presents global opportunities. We have to ensure that SMMEs are positioned to leverage such opportunities.”
Despite its disconnection of entrepreneurship ecosystem, Southern Africa has a better digital readiness than Sub-Saharan Africa. This leads the region to be the representative of Africa into the 4th Industrial Revolution that is expected to bring a major change in the society.
The Founder of Uhuru shop and the accelerator of platform Uhuru Group, Tiro Matjiu speaks about the major challenge in the sector. “Marketing in an economic downturn is tough, even more so when your industry requires a shift in consumer mindset. Buying local is at the core of Ohuru’s SMME clients and without bold and innovative marketing strategies we will fall behind. Industry 4.0 is a huge opportunity for growth and access to global markets, but it requires knowledge, mentorship and training.”
As the Chairman of SABTIA, Zaid Mohidin believes that the Africa Tech Conference will be the first step to bring all experts in the sector together and ratify the industry, designing a forward practical way.
“This in an industry that is constantly evolving to meet the dynamic needs of the market and entrepreneurs. The lack of regulation and coordination in the industry has exposed the sector to ‘fly by night’ of ‘opportunistic’ programs that are often exclusive, ineffective and have very little impact on small business development. SABTIA aims to build a more inclusive incubation and acceleration system which will better serve small business and start-ups, including those in the informal sector. We also have to ensure that we are driven by local realities and ensure that our support mechanisms are relevant to the South African realities of rural and towhship economies.” Zaid Mohidin says.
The conference was attended by global industry experts, dominant private-sector players in enterprise and supplier development, local as well as national government, small business, funding agencies, incubation and acceleration programs.
Southern Africa Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) is a Southern Africa-based independent and private association established to promote and coordinate business incubation. SABTIA plays the role as the industry standard practitioner and member association by providing the dissemination of knowledge, skills, training, and expertise to the national, continental, as well as international ecosystem through a partnership with DSBN, EBN, INBIA, and SEDA.
With the industry entering a new cycle we see more and more countries not only consolidating their ecosystems but more importantly also ensuring that appropriate local models are developed in alignment with global standards. The push to cross-pollinate and to collaborate to develop effective ecosystems – with best practices and standards – is fast becoming a priority. SABTIA has been reformed to address this priority.
You can follow SABTIA on these channels below:
Twitter: @SABTIA_Org
Facebook: Sabtia.org
Linkedin: SABTIA
