Global Business Accelerator a welcome project to support SA entrepreneurs

Business or industry associations can often turn out to be little more than lobby groups, or rent-a-quote repositories for lazy journalists.

So, it is refreshing to see the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) rolling up its sleeves to support budding entrepreneurs.

It has launched a Global Business Accelerator, which has secured funding from the German federal ministry for economic cooperation and development and aims to give people in the creative sector the knowledge and support they need to set up their own businesses or bolster existing companies.

Participants – including fashion designers, crafters, jewellers, gaming producers and animators – are brought together for a year and then equipped with financial skills, as well as knowledge about identifying markets and developing sales skills. They are also given basic training in exporting their work.

JCCI president Jackie Mpondo-Hendricks told The Citizen the project was more than just training and support – it was aimed at building a positive narrative and pride.

It aims to show the world that SA can be competitive in the creative sector, as initiators and innovators in its own right, rather than just being “copycats”.

We welcome projects like this, because the way to improve this country is to do it ourselves.

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