Wits Business School and the Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship hosted a double celebration for the graduation of delegates that completed the Technopreneurship Accelerator Program and the groundbreaking of an innovative enterprise development initiative called 47 Main.
The event saw the attendance of education, business and economic development representatives and was supported by the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services SETA).
For those delegates completing the Technopreneurship accelerator programme, the event was a celebration of their efforts in entrepreneurship development. And for Wits Business School, the 47 Main groundbreaking represents a new phase in their drive to create an entrepreneurial incubation environment.
Wits entrepreneur graduates recognised
The Technopreneurship delegates that graduated the Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship’s innovative program were recognised.
Technopreneurship focuses on the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. As such, those completing the program were able to develop the insight and capability to undertake viable business initiatives.
Graduating the Technopreneurship Accelerator Programme recognises the entrepreneurial skills these delegates have acquired and provides the platform from which they can launch their business ideas.
47 Main sets its sights on new level
The other key highlight of the day, the 47 Main groundbreaking, has equally ambitious plans.
This enterprise development initiative is designed to create an environment where entrepreneurs can develop their ideas, innovations and enterprises, receiving the guidance and support they need along the way.
47 Main represents an investment in the infrastructure around entrepreneurship. Instead of a theoretical entrepreneurship development model, there will be a practical opportunity for entrepreneurs and their ideas to grow.
Services SETA investment in entrepreneurship
The presence of Services SETA at this event speaks volumes of the value of the initiative. They see 47 Main as an example of how scarce skills development funds can be leveraged to create a broader social impact.
Services SETA sees a fit between their own goals (around their scarce skills development fund), and the potential of the 47 Main project. The result is a greater pool of entrepreneurial talent emerging from South Africa’s education system.
For these graduates, this kind of access – to the environment, the skills development, the network – would have been unavailable to them, had it not been for the project. That, to me, is the real value of the initiative.
Business and academic leaders enjoy successful event
The event attracted successful figures from the fields of education, business and economic development.
Professor Maurice Radebe, Faculty Director and Chairman of Jozi My Jozi, was the faculty representative. Tshediso Matona, Black Economic Empowerment Commissioner, was the keynote speaker. Businessman Robert Brozin added to the list of successful South Africans.
The Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship was well-represented by Professor McEdward Murimbika, whose hard work has contributed directly to the Wits entrepreneurship initiative.
Value for aspiring entrepreneurs
The value of these initiatives to aspiring entrepreneurs is immeasurable, especially in the early phases of business development. They represent an environment in which to test and refine a business idea.
An idea is just that – an idea. It has to be developed, tested and refined to reach its potential. This is where a supportive environment becomes crucial. These kinds of projects add practicality and depth to existing entrepreneurship development initiatives like those at Wits.
New era for entrepreneurial development
The graduation and groundbreaking represent a dual celebration for Wits Business School and the Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship.
Graduating delegates means that the initial investment in developing entrepreneurial capability has paid off. But the real test lies ahead, in the use to which this new entrepreneurial talent will be put.
The 47 Main groundbreaking represents a shift in focus from the development of entrepreneurial capability, to the enterprise development of individual entrepreneurs. These two projects represent a full entrepreneurial development cycle, from the acquisition of skills, to the application of these skills in the enterprise development environment.
What lies ahead for Wits Business School and the Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship is a matter of converting this investment in entrepreneurial development into entrepreneurial enterprise development.
For South Africa, initiatives such as these will go a long way to ensuring those with entrepreneurial aspirations have access to the enterprise development they need to participate meaningfully in the economy.
Source and reporting note
This article was independently written from information supplied about the Wits Business School and Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship event, Technopreneurship Accelerator Programme certification and 47 Main groundbreaking.
Names and roles of speakers and participants are reported based on the information supplied for the event.
Editorial policy
Our editorial approach is to provide factual, independently written reportage on business and economic development initiatives related to education and skills development.
We make a clear distinction between confirmed developments and the intended objectives of an ongoing project. We do not present future economic or business outcomes as a given.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information and public awareness purposes only. It is not an official publication of Wits Business School, Wits University, Wits Crucible Centre for Entrepreneurship or Services SETA. Participation in an entrepreneurship program does not guarantee funding, investment, business success or employment.
Readers must obtain current information from the relevant organisation before making any decisions about a program or opportunity.
