As part of efforts to give budding African entrepreneurs the much needed support to take their games to the next level, the Murdoch University in Western Australia is partnering with South African-based Kingdom Business Network (KBN), a programme created and funded by the South-African based the Beryl Group, to inspire entrepreneurs to create and acquire sustainable wealth, enabling them resources and training to build and develop their communities and positively impact their generation. This agreement was reached during a recent visit to Australia by Joarina Matthys, the KBN Chief Executive Officer and four of its entrepreneurs to participate in a panel at the 9th Annual Africa Australia Research Forum and meet with Murdoch Alumni, members of the Perth African diaspora and entrepreneurial community.
Founded 10 years ago by Neverl and Beryl Kambasha with a goal to empower 1,000 entrepreneurs across Africa by 2022, the Kingdom Business Network group has been deeply involved in developing quality entrepreneurs who will have a positive impact on their communities. However, all through this decade of operation, the group has been in South Africa. But with the recent development, efforts are in top gear to expand to other African countries.
Speaking on the development, the CEO of KBN said that “after 10 years of operation in South Africa we have made the decision to expand our reach, to other parts of Africa and to seek partnerships within Australia, including with Murdoch.” The Murdoch University Africa Research Group Chair David Doepel highlighted that Murdoch was keen to understand what structures facilitated creative and innovative thinking, and to harness the formidable African brain power globally.
“This is absolutely critical to Africa’s participation in the creation of the 4th Industrial revolution,” he added. He further stated that Murdoch’s digital interconnectedness holds great promise, but it only works if there are human networks formed to leverage the digital ones. This is why “we have been exploring how we can be more embedded with each other to ensure the success of this burgeoning phenomenon on the continent.”
To highlight the phenomenal growth within the continent in the last few years, he pointed out that there were just 314 tech hubs in Africa in 2016, but as at 2018, it has doubled to 618, which shows a big promise and captures the huge untapped human resource potential the continent has. More than 50 per cent of those tech hubs have incubators with in-kind support for idea and early stage start-ups, developing innovations in agtech, healthtech and fintech focused on African solutions for African opportunities. To this end, coming together to ensure the success of these entrepreneurs, and finding ways to straddle continents with ideas that lead to businesses that solve problems, exploit opportunities, create jobs and deliver inclusive growth, is the work we must support.”
Aside from other openings, The Kingdom Business Network could also provide a trusted partner for companies interested in investing in African companies or your partners in Africa. “A key role we play is developing and maintaining strategic partnerships to create a web of networks for our entrepreneurs as well as for people looking for opportunities in South Africa and Africa generally says Joarina Matthys, KBNs CEO, adding that “we understand how government and local systems work; if you don’t know who to trust we are the place to come to.”
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.