SA to host International Small Business Congress
OUTH Africa will host the 37th annual International Small Business Congress (ISBC) at the Sandton Convention Centre from 15-18 September 2012.
This will be the first time that the ISBC is held on the African soil.
The congress will be hosted in collaboration with the City of Johannesburg, Foundation for African Business and Consumer Services (FABCOS), Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa), Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), MTN Business, ABSA Bank and Shanduka Black Umbrellas.
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, South Africa ranks alongside Romania and the Gaza Strip for the number of start-ups that survive past the three and a half year mark. Given that the Department of Trade and Industry’s Annual Review of Small Business in South Africa attributed a gross value of between R493-billion and R572-billion in 2006 to micro and small enterprises, the economic and social value of small businesses is evident, with more needing to be done to support fledgling entrepreneurs.
Speaking at an ISBC media briefing in Cape Town recently, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies said the congress provides for a platform to benchmark and draw lessons from both the developed and developing countries with a view of sharpening policy development and high impact programmes in the South African SMME sector.
“More than 1 000 delegates
Sare expected to decent to our shores for the congress, and the venue will be a hive of activity as debates and discussions on the future and role of SMEs in the global economy take up centre stage and heighten up,” says Davies.
The theme of this year’s congress will be “Fostering small business in new and high-potential industries worldwide”.
“This theme is of particular importance to South Africa especially as we widen the market for South African goods and services through stronger focus on exports to the region and other economic groupings such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).
“The theme is also important as we advocate for a diversified economy and we venture into activities geared towards greening the economy. Based on the latter, there are new opportunities for new enterprises and this congress will provide for a learning platform in these areas,” says Davies.
The 2012 Congress will put the spotlight on small business development in South Africa and will celebrate past successes and chart new ways for the future, with a particular focus on promoting small business in emerging industries.
Other than the President of ISBC, Catherine Swift, there are other speakers from South Africa, Canada, England, Nigeria, Malaysia, Northern Ireland, Cameroon, Japan, France, Mauritius, Sierra Leone and India, to mention a few, who have confirmed their participation in the Congress where they will share their knowledge and expertise with other SME practitioners.
President of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (Nafcoc), Lawrence Mavundla said they welcomed the initiatives taken by government in bringing the congress to South Africa.
“Small medium enterprises have always been a main driver for employment in South Africa and with this congress a lot of jobs can be created,” says Mavundla.
Zunaid Bulbulia, acting chief enterprise business officer at MTN Business says: “It is a privilege for MTN Business to be a partner in bringing the ISBC to Africa shores for the very first time”!
“This sponsorship is an obvious alignment and representation of our commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and small business across the continent.”
The chief executive responsible for retail and business banking at Absa Bobby Malabie says entrepreneurship and small business have globally been proven to be the primary creators of jobs in any economy, both the developed and the developing countries, and the South African entrepreneurs will benefit immensely from exchanging ideas with their counterparts from other parts of the world.
According to Mavundla who is also deputy president of the recently-launched Black Business Council, which brings together several leading black business and professional organisations, by creating opportunities for economic participation for large numbers of individuals, either as business owners or employees, small businesses play a central role in driving economic transformation.
He says the 2012 ISBC will provide an important platform to exchange ideas and best practices in small business development efforts globally.
Support policies, programmes and approaches around the world will come under close scrutiny at the congress, and key lessons will be learnt that will contribute to improving current practices in small business promotion in South Africa and elsewhere.
"We welcome the opportunity to host our peers from around the world to discuss this important aspect of the global economy - the fostering of vibrant, growing and jobcreating small businesses. We encourage both entrepreneurs and providers of small business support to make maximum use of this unique opportunity," says Mavundla.
In holding the global event in Africa for the first time in the Congress's thirty-eight year history, the international small business community has made an unequivocal statement that it recognises Africa's growing importance in the world economy, contends Septi Bukula, director of the congress.
He says to maximise the benefits of ISBC for all participants, the event has two components. The conference element will provide ample opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses to learn from world experts about promotion, as they discuss their experiences and share insights on the possibilities and pitfalls to be aware of.
Small business owners will also benefit from a range of practical sessions and workshops focusing on various aspects of business strategy, such as using technology to build competitiveness, human resource development, inter-firm collaboration and networking and business sustainability.