67 CEOs to host Global Entrepreneurship Week 2019

The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) happens once a year in November, and this year marks 12 years of helping millions of people through local, national and global events and activities unleash their ideas to start and scale new businesses.

67CEOs Foundation will this year host its 3rd annual Global Entrepreneurship Week, under the theme « Advancing Market Access”. The theme was selected as a result of disruptive innovations which are transforming Africa’s economic potential, creating new target markets and unprecedented consumer choice. Capitalising on these potential opportunities requires complete reconsideration of customer engagement and business development strategies, which need to focus on how Small, Medium & Micro Enterprise Businesses (SMMEs) can ride the wave. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 advocates for stronger public and private sector resourcing and investment in the country’s SMME. Complexity of standards and compliance pose difficulties to rural and local SMMEs access to market. 67CEOs GEW2019 sponsored by Exxaro Resources will see the convergence of relevant stakeholders offering their expertise and network in the spirit of advancing access to markets for SMMEs.

One of the key focus areas for this year’s GEW2019 by 67CEOs is how South African SMMEs can benefit immensely from African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, thus paving the way for accelerating the establishment of the Customs Union. The GEW2019 is a great platform for SMMEs to highlight beneficiation according to NPD 2030 and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act.

AfCFTA is also expected to enhance competitiveness at the industry and enterprise level through exploitation of opportunities for scale production, continental market access and better reallocation of resources.

We strongly believe that SMMEs have the potential to create more jobs, continue to contribute to local and national economic growth when adequately supported through public-private partnerships (PPP) and actively take advantage of continental policy and technology development to accelerate access to markets.

67CEOs GEW2019 will bring together a diverse group of people to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and learn from each other’s successes and failures. Entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs, giving newcomers a roadmap to navigate the complex ecosystem of access to markets, funding, talent and building a business, along with an invaluable network of a community of support as characterised by previous GEWs.

67CEOs GEW2019 will run in 3 regions with pre-GEW activities and the official launch in Lephalale, Limpopo Province on the 12 November 2019 until the 13 November. In the Mpumalanga region, there will be a 2-day programme, event dates are 18 and 19 November. The Gauteng Province will be the final stop, and will run for 3 days, starting from 21 to 23 November. On the third day, we will host a mini regional pitch fest whereby the overall winner from Limpopo and Mpumalanga will compete with Gauteng overall winner for a bigger grant funding and other benefits.

67CEOs GEW2019 will conclude by seeing selected SMMEs exhibiting their products to the public on the last day – The Market Day, 23 November 2019.