SA’s premier entrepreneurial competition marks 30 years of celebrating entrepreneurial excellence in Durban
Amid the current political optimism, entrepreneurs should be especially inspired by the continued commitment to SME support which emerged as a consistent theme in both the 2018 State of the Nation Address and the National Budget Speech. This is according to Kobus Engelbrecht, spokesperson for the 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam […]
Most attractive sectors for entrepreneurs in 2017
2016 was a tough year for many South Africans – and small businesses took a hard knock as the local economy experienced many challenges to overcome. Despite this testing environment, there are certain sectors that are ripe with opportunity for astute entrepreneurs to capitalise on in 2017. This is according to Christo Botes, spokesperson for […]
Unemployment remains the country’s greatest economic and social challenge
“South Africa should be tackling the rising unemployment rate by facilitating and driving entrepreneurship.” This is according to Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS, who was speaking in light of the recently released unemployment figures. Statistics SA yesterday revealed that unemployment increased to 26.7 percent […]
Scaling up your business: When is it the right time to expand?
The urge to convert and scale up a small business to a medium to large enterprise is one of the most common goals among business owners. However, contrary to popular belief, scaling up a business is not just a goal for most entrepreneurs, but also a necessary step to running a business successfully. This is […]
Finding the silver lining in the dark economic cloud
While the country and the world may be facing economic woes, it doesn’t mean it is all doom and gloom for South Africa’s local entrepreneurs. This is the sentiment of Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS. “South Africa faced a number of challenges over the […]
What measures need to be taken to improve entrepreneurship levels in South Africa?
The latest South Africa Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2014 revealed that entrepreneurial activity in South Africa is not sufficient, and is not in line with other sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, nor the rest of the world – despite the level of activity increasing marginally over the last 10 years. While the country has a good […]
Calling all entrepreneurs!
Final countdown to enter the 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year competition begins. With just a little more than a month until entries close for the 2015 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition on 16 June 2015, South African entrepreneurs are encouraged to enter in order to be recognised and rewarded for the […]
21 years of entrepreneurial growth in South Africa
Freedom represents the liberty to follow the path one chooses, which includes an individual’s career path. Entrepreneurship is one such path, and since the first democratic election in 1994, South Africa has witnessed the rise of small businesses. This is according to Christo Botes, spokesperson of the 2015 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the […]
Local entrepreneurs to grab ecommerce opportunities
Technological advancements have changed the way in which the South African business landscape operates, and this is increasingly leading to many opportunities for local entrepreneurs and businesses. One such advancement stemming from the evolution of the internet is the rise of eCommerce – a platform used to market, promote, sell and buy goods and services […]
Avoid making foolish business mistakes
Starting a business is a daunting task, and growing the business, or even just keeping it afloat, can be even more overwhelming. Many new businesses do not survive this initial phase due to the business owner making mistakes during the first few fragile years of operation. Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2015 Sanlam / Business […]