Soweto Conference welcomes Richard Maponya as keynote speaker

Hosted by the UJ Centre for Small Business Development (CSBD) in the Faculty of Management, this year's theme is 'Promoting Township Business Competitiveness: Co-existence of Immigrant, Big and Small Township Enterprises'.

Inspiration for delegates

"We are delighted to welcome Dr Maponya to this year's event," says Moipone Molotsi, Director of the CSBD. "He is a celebrated business leader, renowned for creating a business empire in spite of all the challenges he was faced with. We believe that he will provide a great deal of inspiration for delegates attending the conference."

Maponya, an entrepreneur and property developer, holds a lifetime achievement award from the African Leadership Network. He created a thriving business empire despite Apartheid restrictions at the time. Dr Maponya opened a dairy product shop in 1950s Soweto before moving onto property and racehorse breeding. He is the founder of the African Chamber of Commerce and opened his own retail development, Maponya Mall, at the age of 87. Dr Maponya is still engaged in the development of several business enterprises including Maponya Motor City and the Maponya Institute, which provides skills and training for young entrepreneurs.

"It became evident that we needed to create a suitable platform to explore some of the most pressing challenges facing entrepreneurs and township enterprises," says Molotsi. "This conference will provide the ideal environment to facilitate debate, as well as the exchange of skills and ideas."

Success factors for SA

According to Molotsi, entrepreneurship and small business development are critical success factors for South Africa's continued economic growth. "However, for many years, a large number of local business owners have perceived the existence of foreign-owned enterprises and big business, as a growth infringement on their own enterprises. It is our belief that we, in the local context, can gain significant advantages by exploring how other countries have overcome these challenges."

This year's conference is rich with practical training, including Business Idea Generation and Innovation, as well as Social Media Marketing.

"It is our hope that this event will serve as a platform to explore and debate the possibility of partnerships between foreign and locally owned businesses. We also need to look at ways in which government may be able to assist through legislative changes, as well as how big businesses can co-exist with smaller enterprises. The goal is to try and achieve a status quo that stimulates economic development," concludes Molotsi.

The Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) joins this year's conference as one of the key sponsors. Others are, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), EDULOAN, Thebe Foundation and The University of Johannesburg.

For more information, go to www.csbd.co.za.