Entrepreneurs Ashia Nkontsa and Dumisani Wambi, from Khayelitsha, were a part of a networking session at the Khayelitsha Bandwidth Barn organised by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs: Southern Africa, in partnership with business accelerator, UVU Africa, a fortnight ago.
Innovators and business leaders networked around opportunities in the area, and engaged in pitches from a range of organisations, including UVU Accelerate, Fetola, the National Mentorship Movement, the National Business Initiative, Falsebay College, and Khayelitsha Youth In Business (KYIB).
Mr Wambi pitched on how his business introduced a life-skills and social impact project, Khayelitsha Basketball, which works with schools in the area.
Ms Nkontsa said she particularly enjoyed when the business support incubators pitched on how they can work with businesses.
After lunch, they shared a panel discussion on entrepreneurial finance, featuring representatives from The Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa), the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), and Kasi Catalyst, which ingnited a thought-provoking debate that challenged traditional perspectives, while offering new solutions.
Keynote speeches on collaboration and funding were contributed by representatives from The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini, as well as The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, and the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.
