By David Cromar, AIN (South Africa)
This three day gathering of African
incubator managers and key staff, economic development agencies, private and
public incubation experts and invited speakers and guests was packed out with
delegates standing at the back on several sessions.
From the opening sparring on the Wednesday,
about Durban as the best conference venue in Africa to our final visit at the
magnificent new World Cup Stadium on the Friday the programme was full of
inspiring and emotional impacts, best in class incubator performances and
challenging entrepreneurial programmes -- incubation standards for us all to
emulate.
Over 130 delegates and our speakers from United
States of America, the United Kingdom, Senegal, Uganda, Benin, Botswana, Nigeria,
Tanzania, India, Zambia and all parts of the Republic of South Africa arrived
at our chosen venue, the stunning Coastlands upon the Ridge Hotel in Durban.
None of the 5 sessions or 3 organised
events lacked an interested and inspired audience -- this was not to be a
conference where the warm sun and stunning Indian Ocean seashore would act as a
magnet for tired, bored and disinterested delegates.
Each of these forums was delivered by
experienced practitioners who showcased and evidenced their economic impact.
Recognised and benchmarked Internationally by infoDev, NBIA and UKBI these
incubators and LED's have developed, established and now replicated within
Africa, world class programmes and deliverables for entrepreneurial startups
and support for those SME's seeking growth by targeting domestic, African &
global markets.
The stories which accompanied these
presentations evidenced to everyone present that blending support from
government, multi-national companies, expats and diasporas with the
determination and practicality of incubation managers, their teams and boards, is
growing in Africa.
As a developing continent with its
political and human problems and challenges, Africa is coming from behind the
BRIC contingent.
We may not have the critical mass of
established incubators that Brazil, China and India have - but those who are on
the ground expending their energy within Africa are reaping the rewards.
At the same time, many countries within
Africa have ample natural resources, the pride and the spirit, the ability to
leapfrog industrial revolutionary steps, grasp mobile telephony and create
ecommerce, access high speed Internet via satellite, adapt open source software
and to tackle grass routes literacy and unemployment.
Speakers have opened our eyes and filled
our notepads and blackberries showing us where virtual incubation, satellite,
hub and spoke networks,& bricks n mortar incubators, and technology
training centres can each be visited.
They are each addressing the sectoral and
geographical needs of AgriTech, Communications, Construction, Crafts and Design,
ecommerce, IT, Manufacturing, & Software by supporting entrepreneurs in
rural, urban and global locations throughout the continent.
They are indeed turning around the
historical 80% startup business failure rate in Africa to the achievable 80% sustainable
SME survival rate via incubation support.
They are helping Women, Youth and
empowering indigenous business people to enter self employment and in turn
recruit and train new staff.
The superb conference publication in each
delegate pack "celebrating incubation in Africa 2010" has garnered
together selected success stories and best practices from around our African
network."
It is no fluke that this raising of overall
educational and inspirational achievements is helping regional agencies attract
Foreign Direct Investment to Africa.
Honorable Mike Mabuyakhulu; MEC - Minister
of Economic Development and Tourism, KNZ (RSA) addressed us at our Gala Dinner
evening at the Hilton Hotel.
Despite often difficult circumstance,
environmental and human, in hard times and the current recession, incubators
are still graduating a growing number of sustainable SME's that are employing
staff, generating GDP, and entering global market sectors.
He told us how South African municipal,
provincial and national government have been so convinced by the successes and
impact of incubation upon economic growth that they are allocating additional
resources and investing in new incubators across RSA.
Settling for merely being the global source
of essential resources is not enough to sustain a better quality of life for
everyone in Africa.
Please visit the conference eDiary here: http://africanincubatornetwork.wordpress.com
Presentations are available here: http://www.ainportal.org