GEW 2016 officially kicks off in S/Africa

This November, South Africa will celebrate entrepreneurs and their innovative spirit alongside more than 160 other countries for Global Entrepreneurship Week. South Africa will lead the world in launching the global, week-long event with a gathering of public and private leaders for a kick-off celebration in Johannesburg.

GEW South Africa will be launched by the Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu, Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa, Premier of Gauteng Province David Makhura and the President of Global Entrepreneurship Network Jonathan Ortmans. South Africa’s leading chief executives, entrepreneurs, innovators and ecosystem leaders will gather at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Auditorium in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Friday, November 11.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is the largest gathering of innovators and entrepreneurs who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and stimulate socio-economic development. The week is dedicated to inspire millions of people from more than 160 countries through local, national and global activities designed to help them unleash their potential as entrepreneurs and innovators. In Africa, the African Union (AU), through its blueprint for socio-economic development, Agenda 2063: the Africa We Want, encompasses the ideals of entrepreneurship and innovation through its developmental aspirations aimed at building a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem on the continent.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a lead up to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC), which South Africa will host in March 2017. Building from the momentum of previous GECs and the recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held at Silicon Valley in June 2016, the GEC will be held in Johannesburg for the first time on the African continent and will host nearly 5,000 delegates from 160 countries.

Young entrepreneurs willing to pitch are also encouraged to register to pitch their ideas at the Idea Space Fair at GEW. Winners will be selected and have the opportunity to pitch at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in March 2017.

Kizito is the executive head at SEA Africa, and one of the leading organizers for GEC 2017 in Johannesburg.