At the GES, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) committed over $38m to Global Entrepreneurship which will help mobilise the power of global entrepreneurs and innovators. The USAID will also be partnering with 500 Startups which is a leading Silicon Valley global venture capital fund and accelerator to host the Geeks on a Plane (GOAP) trip to Africa in March 2017. On this first ever Africa GOAP trip, the Silicon Valley leaders will participate in an 11 day itinerary in Accra, Lagos, Cape Town and Johannesburg to engage with African entrepreneurs and innovators and explore partnership and investment opportunities. The trip will culminate with the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in Johannesburg on 13-16 March 2017.
Speaking post the media briefing at Silicon Valley, the Executive Head of SEA Africa Kizito Okechukwu thanked GEN, USAID and 500 Startups for making this vision a reality. He urged African entrepreneurs to take positive advantage and leverage from this new development. “It will also ensure continuous collaboration amongst African and other global entrepreneurs and assist to sustain the African Union’s 2063 Agenda, “Africans breaking away from the syndrome of always coming up with new ideas but no significant achievement and set in motion high levels of productivity, growth, entrepreneurship and transformation. We are really looking forward to collaborating with all partners in ensuring that the GEC 2017 is an impactful one”, he concluded.
The GEC is the largest gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and policymakers from more than 160 countries with over 5000 delegates. The global entrepreneurship ecosystem will gather in one of South Africa’s most innovative hubs – Johannesburg.
The GEC Johannesburg will be hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), Kauffman Foundation, SEA Africa, the City of Johannesburg, National Department of Small Business Development, Gauteng Provincial Government, Absa – a member of Barclays, Transnet, Hollard, Microsoft and Telkom.
For more info and to register – please visit: www.gec.co or email: az.oc.acirfaaes@7102ceg
