In an attempt to address issues relating to the growth and sustainability among small businesses, SME South Africa in partnership with Neotel, the Riversands Incubation Hub and ZADNA, is hosting the Growth Champions Seminar. The annual event will be held in Midrand on 9 June.
The seminar will cover a range of topics which are aimed at assisting business owners with practical solutions and tools to help them effectively manage their business operations. The topics covered will include, cost effective ways to market products and services online, how to identify profit-driven marketing opportunities and how to build a business with customer-focused solutions.
Equipping entrepreneurs with the relevant tools
South Africa’s rate of entrepreneurial activity is very low for a developing nation – a mere quarter of that of other sub-Saharan African countries. This is according to a recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report.
SMEs across the board face a host of challenges that hinder their growth. Through the event, SME South Africa hopes to address growth-related challenges that many entrepreneurs may face, says Velly Bosega, founder and CEO of Adclick Africa, publisher of SME South Africa.
“I am a self-taught entrepreneur and have encountered some hurdles along my journey. If I had had an opportunity to be part of such a knowledge sharing platform provided by SME Growth Champions, I would have preempted a lot of business risks and took pro-active measures to overcome some barriers.
“Through this seminar, I want to empower SMEs to better manage their businesses and most importantly to enable them to run businesses that will be in operation for many years to come,” says Bosega.
Bosega says that although SMEs play a critical role as job providers, poverty reducers, service delivery agents and economy boosters, more needs to be done to support and equip them with the right tools.
The speaker line-up will include among others:
Mohale Ralebitso – an entrepreneur and a seasoned transformational business leader. He is currently the CEO of the Black Business Council and was the executive chairman of FCB South Africa, an advertising agency. He has experience in brand management, marketing, customer segmentation and customer value propositions design (CVPs) and market engagement across SA, Africa, Colombia, Mexico and India and China. Ralebitso will be givings attendees insights and tips on how to in increase their business profits.
Kay Vittee – an award-winning business leader and CEO of Quest, a recruitment company. She holds a Masters in Business Administration, a B.Com (Banking and Economics) and various other financial and marketing qualifications. Vittee will be talking about the importance of having the right people on board.
Vika Mpisane – the CEO of ZADNA, a non-profit that manages and regulates South Africa’s internet domain. He has broad experience in policy development in areas such as trade and industry, economic policy, labour, education and ICT development.
Jenny Retief – the first CEO of Riversands Incubation Hub, an initiative aimed at sparking economic growth and providing support for small business owners. Riversands Incubation Hub is a public-private partnership between Century Property Developments and The Jobs Fund. Retief will give insight and advice on effective leadership qualities.
Rick Ed – a business advisor and mentor to small business owners and entrepreneurs in South Africa. He is the founder of Do Business Better. His business offers mentoring and business support on topics such as marketing, management and leadership to SMEs and entrepreneurs.
He will be unpacking issues around operational processes and planning and provide delegates with more insights on strategic growth.
For more information on the event click here.
CORRECTION: This article has been amended to include Rick Ed as one of the speakers at the seminar.
