Who is responsible for solving Africa’s challenges?
Some of South Africa’s foremost thought leaders and experts from all sectors were tasked with unpacking this question at yesterday’s TEDxJohannesburgSalon titled Between2Ends. The event was one of the first of many activities taking place this week in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).
TEDxJohannesburgSalon is a special feature of TEDxJohannesburg, the regional leg of the global platform TED Talks, a speaker series which brings some of the world’s smartest people to share their world-changing ideas.
Change For The Future
Each of the event speakers highlighted the important role all stakeholders – private sector, civil society, entrepreneurs, and government – can play in solving some of the continent’s most pressing issues, including poverty, unemployment and a lack of access to healthcare.
Twenty-six-year-old CEO of Tshwane Wi-Fi initiative Project Isizwe, Duduzile Mkhwanazi, spoke on the issue of internet access in Africa in light of the #datamustfall movement.
The head of the free public Wi-Fi initiative highlighted the need to increase internet connectivity to drive the continent forward, particularly with the approaching 4th industrial revolution.
Also presented at the event were solutions to issues surrounding healthcare in Africa. One of these solutions was the role of civil society organisations. Speaking on this matter was Bongi Mkhabela, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, which is one of the biggest civil society-led initiatives in the world.
Christoph Castellaz, head of strategy and new business development at the technology company, Philips South Africa gave insight into the role of tech in the sector. The company is working with Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital to provide portable vital sign monitors for hospitals and caregivers.
A movement for change – here are highlights from the TEDxJohannesburgSalon speakers.Â
1. Roche Mamabolo (founder of Radipolelo Entrepreneurship Consulting) on providing opportunities for marginalised groupsÂ
Social entrepreneurship success should be about providing enough to those who have little instead of providing more to those who already have a lot. – @rochemamabolo #tedxjoburg
— Mashadi Letwaba (@Shadi_91) November 13, 2017
“We are so used to poverty that we are immune to its effects in society.” @rochemamabolo #tedxjoburg
— Feefee (@missfilwefee) November 13, 2017
Internet4All is important because
“To apply for jobs, because almost every corporate has moved to e-applications and every municipality insists on e-governance and so does SARS continue to nudge the Masses to e-filling.” Let us leave no woman or man behind #tedxjoburg pic.twitter.com/AKs9hc7fbM— Project Isizwe (@ProjectIsizwe) November 13, 2017
“Internet Access to the indigent is more than about updating a Facebook profile,” @DuduMkhwanazi #tedxjoburg#internet4All pic.twitter.com/5A50qB50CS
— Project Isizwe (@ProjectIsizwe) November 13, 2017
Social enterprises should
be dismantling and replacing unjust social systems—otherwise they are likely parasites
profiting from the undeserved hardship of
others @tomolefe #TEDxJoburg— Collective Media (@CMCooperative) November 13, 2017
Social entrepreneurs respond to the social ills that underpin social enterprise as symptoms of, and I might even say caused by, unjust systems such as capitalism, sexism and racism @tomolefe #TEDxJoburg
— Collective Media (@CMCooperative) November 13, 2017
“By being at the scene of the injury, you are connected to the injury”-Â @MasingitaTv
Urging us to find a place, a role to play, to disregard ‘normal’ and think outside of that to tend to our national injury. #TEDxJoburg
— Brother Love (@yesGalaletsang) November 13, 2017
“South Africa needed to take care of itself, pull itself together and take care of her own babies – and that’s what we did” – #BongiMkhabela #TedxJoburg
— HavasJHB (@HavasJHB) November 13, 2017
60% of the donors for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital came from South Africa. @GIBS_SA #TEDxJoburg #Between2Ends #SocialEntrepreneurship pic.twitter.com/RWjC4WnhoX
— TEDxJohannesburg (@TEDxJoburg) November 13, 2017
Most of maternal deaths occurs in developing countries.@GIBS_SA #TEDxJoburg #Between2Ends #SocialEntrepreneurship pic.twitter.com/Q1wSkR14XI
— TEDxJohannesburg (@TEDxJoburg) November 13, 2017
Philips had to come up with solutions to the challenges developing countries in Africa have in accessing health facilities. @GIBS_SA #TEDxJoburg #SocialEntrepreneurship #Between2Ends pic.twitter.com/7afjMXs3V2
— TEDxJohannesburg (@TEDxJoburg) November 13, 2017
