KUGOMPO CITY- Eastern Cape entrepreneurs have been urged to move beyond having good ideas and focus on building businesses that can attract investment, meet procurement requirements and compete for opportunities in established supply chains.
The call came during the final day of the three-day Post School Education and Training (PSET) Entrepreneurship and Alternative Pathways into the Labour Market Programme, held at the East London International Convention Centre (ELICC) in KuGompo City on 27 August 2026.
The programme brought together entrepreneurs, investors, industry representatives, government stakeholders and support agencies to explore practical ways of helping emerging businesses enter and remain in the labour market.
The day opened with an Investor Round Table moderated by Entrepreneurs Unlimited Incubator Executive Manager Lulu Jakavula.
Representatives from the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Cortex Hub, Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA) and First National Bank (FNB) shared insights on accessing finance, developing businesses and building relationships with investors.
TIA General Manager Thandokazi Nquma Moyo said entrepreneurs should not be discouraged from approaching the agency simply because their businesses were still at an early stage.
“Even if it is just an idea that has not yet come to life, you can come forward and discuss with us how we can help bring that idea to life. We support businesses across different industries,” she said.
Nquma Moyo said TIA worked with businesses at different stages of development, with the aim of helping innovators turn ideas into sustainable ventures through funding and business development support.
FNB representative Monwabisi Poswa identified access to appropriate funding, consumer education and finding customers as some of the challenges confronting small businesses.
“One of the key challenges we face is how to access the right funding, provide consumer education and reach customers,” he said.
Poswa said FNB had developed its Business Hub digital learning platform to help young entrepreneurs acquire business knowledge, including guidance on starting and growing a business and managing its finances.
The focus then shifted from investment to procurement, with a panel discussion titled ‘From Enterprise to Supplier: What It Takes to Access Real Procurement Opportunities.’Representatives from SPAR Group, Transnet and Appimate outlined some of the requirements facing emerging businesses seeking to become suppliers to larger organisations.
SPAR Group panellist Stephen Meyer said entrepreneurs needed to understand their own businesses and the markets they wanted to enter before pursuing procurement opportunities.
“To become a supplier, you need to understand your inputs, the market you are entering and the people you are selling to,” Meyer said.
He also highlighted traceability as a critical requirement for businesses operating within supply chains.
“Everything revolves around traceability,” he said.
The programme also turned its attention to the personal challenges of running a business, with clinical psychologist Ziyanda Mavumengwana leading a session on entrepreneurial resilience and sustainability.
Mavumengwana said resilience was essential for entrepreneurs who often had to deal with uncertainty, rejection and failure.“Entrepreneurship is going to require resilience.
It takes courage to pitch in front of people and it takes courage to put together another pitch after experiencing failure,” she said.
A further highlight was the Provincial PSET Entrepreneurship Declaration, led by Eastern Cape MEC for DEDEAT Nonkqubela Pieters.
The declaration seeks to strengthen the province’s commitment to entrepreneurship and alternative pathways for young people moving from education into the labour market.
Pieters said universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges had an important role to play in preparing young people not only to seek employment, but also to create economic opportunities.
“Universities and TVET colleges must not only be places of teaching and learning. They must also provide students with practical and entrepreneurial skills so that they leave these institutions with confidence and the knowledge to create opportunities for themselves,” she said.
Pieters said the department would continue strengthening its relationships with institutions of higher learning to ensure young people were better prepared for the world of work and entrepreneurship.
“As a department, we are committed to strengthening the relationships we have with institutions of higher learning,” she said.
The three-day programme concluded with a renewed emphasis on collaboration between government, educational institutions, investors and industry.
For emerging entrepreneurs, the message from the final day was clear: access to opportunities depends not only on having a viable business idea, but also on being investment-ready, understanding the market, meeting procurement requirements and having the resilience to survive the setbacks that come with building a business.
Courtesy of IMAGE: Okuhle Nqana
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