Tembisa, popularly known as 1632, is a township with a Xhosa name that means “promise” This name reflects a sense of hope for business people to believe in their ability to achieve their goals.
Township Entrepreneurs Alliance was privileged to host the Township Economy Summit and Township Awards 2024, a three-day event showcasing resilience, energy, and the potential of township entrepreneurship. The event was hosted from 21 to 23 November and brought together one thousand eight hundred participants including township entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and government officials, to celebrate innovations, collaborations, and excellence happening in the townships.
The first two days of the event featured panel discussions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities, while the last day was the prestigious Township Economy Awards, celebrating township entrepreneurs making an impact on their communities.
In a spirit of embracing diversity and inclusivity, the summit was held in a local unused church building in Tembisa, Kopanong section, rather than getting a venue outside the ekasi. This made the event to be easily accessed by the township entrepreneurs. The decorated venue added a professional yet vibrant atmosphere, ensuring a memorable experience for attendees.
The summit also had an exhibition that featured 60 registered stands for the two-day event. These showcased businesses across various industries, including food, transportation services, barbers, and even oil production.
Bulelani Balabala, known as “Mr Get Thing Done” founder of the Township TEA, opened the summit by expressing his gratitude to everyone involved, including brands and partners. He took a moment to reflect on TEA’s achievements over the past decade. “Through initiatives like the Nedbank Ekasi Business Workshop, we have been able to impact over thirty six thousand township entrepreneurs.
“We democratise access to opportunities, information, and funding while creating an inclusive action-driven approach to strengthing the township economy,” he mentioned.
The event also focused on the concept of partnerships as a key driver of business growth within the township environment. “We open up opportunities, resources, and funding for everyone,” Bulelani pointed out and underlined that the approach should be inclusive and practical to enhance the township economy.
The summit had a focus on key sectors that are driving the growth in the township economy and these industries include sectors that have a value of over R 900 billion and are creating employment and economic growth in the township.
Key sectors highlighted included:
- Green Economy eKasi
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
- Backroom Market eKasi
- Retail and Agriculture
- Technology and Innovation
The summit focused on building the township economy through three key pillars: business information sharing, opportunities, and market access. These pillars seek to support the entrepreneurs and create sustainable growth within the township.
In empowering and supporting township entrepreneurs, Nedbank launched a competition that offered 10 Point-of-Sale (POS) systems to entrepreneurs who attended the summit. The impact of this initiative was to provide entrepreneurs with tools to streamline their business operations and enhance their customer service, directly contributing to the growth of digital transformation of township businesses.
Celebrating Kasi Excellence
The last day of the event featured the Township Economy Awards, which celebrated the outstanding achievement of township entrepreneurs in different sectors.
The top awards went to:
- Delivery Ka Speed, founded by Godiragetse Mojarane, took home multiple awards, including Male Entrepreneur of the Year, Youth Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Transport Award.
- AMA X-RAYS, an organization founded and run by Aphiwe Madikizela, was awarded Female Entrepreneur of the Year.
- Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to Dr. Thami Mazwai, a long-time champion for small businesses, and Ritha Zwane of Imbizo Shisanyama.
There are other businesses in different sectors that bagged awards, from the Green Economy Award, Health and Wellness Award, Professional Services Award, and many more.
The Township Entrepreneurs Alliance is the driving force behind South Africa’s township ecosystem and has continuously made an impact. Over the decade TEA has impacted over eighty thousand township business people directly and has supported more than five hundred township enterprises through grants. With a national footprint, TEA is already contributing to the development of the future of township business, supporting various types of entrepreneurs.
Going forward, the summit will be hosted annually to celebrate township entrepreneurs. It is a great initiative that paves the way for entrepreneurs to be recognised for their hard work.
“Your words mean nothing if they’re not followed by action,” Deputy Minister Jane Sithole highlighted, emphasising the encouragement that these events bring to business owners.
