Turning Joburg into a City of entrepreneurs

24 October 2017

 

If you are in business to make loads of cash and not care about solving your customers’ problems, you are in it for all the wrong reasons.

 

This is what close to 400 entrepreneurs from the City’s seven regions heard Monday, October 23 2017, at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein during the City of Johannesburg’s Entrepreneurship symposium.

The symposium comes hot on the heels of seven regional entrepreneurship summits that saw City of Joburg officials interacting with businesspeople on how to change obstacles into opportunities.

Guest presenter Zipho Sikhakane, who said the entrepreneurship bug bit her in her youth as she started selling sweets at school, said entrepreneurship was not about not having a job it's about creating jobs for other.

“Do not compete with anyone but yourself. Don’t build a start-up, build a business. Build your network, find mentors,” said Sikhakane to applause.

Entrepreneurs were told that failure is part of entrepreneurship. Failure is not always horrible, it shows you have got something to learn. They were told not to give up. Seasoned entrepreneur and Tourvest CEO Allison Graham told participants there are a multitude of opportunities that need to be tapped by entrepreneurs in the tourism industry. “Our tourists want to know the story behind our products.”

The two-day symposium, which was opened by Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development Cllr Leah Knott, ends today, October 24 2017.

MMC Knott said this was not going to be turned into a talkshop. “Out of the regional summits and the symposium currently underway, we are gathering intel that will enable the City of Joburg to produce an all-inclusive strategy on entrepreneurship and SMME development.

“One of the City’s nine priorities is the achievement of 5% economic growth in the City. This can only happen when as the City we have created an enabling environment in which SMMEs thrive,” said MMC Knott.