Local Entrepreneurs Urged To Look Beyond Borders

Ludo Kwapa | Monday February 25, 2019 13:25

Speaking at the second annual Africa Youth Entrepreneurs Summit (AYES) last week, founder and president of AYES Lemogang Senwelo said the summit was aimed at building partnerships amongst business people thus identify ways of expanding into other markets within Africa and beyond. Senwelo emphasised on the need for networks as they bridge existing gaps in the economic, trade and the investment spaces.

“It is important to bridge all these things together and shed light on how corporate companies can’t function without entrepreneurs because we provide services for them as much as entrepreneurs can’t survive without corporate companies because we need them to buy into the services that we provide for them,” she said.

Senwelo said the summit was also to create a merging factor as it brings all entrepreneurs, corporate entities and others to start moving African markets forward.

South African aspiring entrepreneur, Neliswa Fente who is the co-founder of Spring Age, was one of the speakers at the event. 

Fente started her business at 24 where she best saw it fit to create a space where young people can come together and formulate ideas for big corporates in Africa.

“It is important to celebrate your failures as an entrepreneur and as Africans we need to work together and do collaborations more often to avoid being irrelevant,” he said.

Namibian entrepreneur, Sandra Niyomi shared the same sentiments highlighting that the summit serves as an empowerment for aspiring business people to conduct a physical study and get to know if they are patient enough towards achieving their long-term business goals.  “It is important to make sure that as an entrepreneur you always stay relevant, work towards being your best self and also have an undying desire towards achieving one’s business visions,” she said.

A social entrepreneur from Zimbabwe, Shingie Chitsike emphasised the importance of leveraging on technology as an entrepreneur noting that it can help in the growth of the business.

“The internet space is unlimited therefore it is important to learn about it and use it for your main interest as an entrepreneur as it where people grow and become successful,” he said.