GEC+Africa 2026: Africa’s entrepreneurs demand action on finance and red tape - IOL

The GEC+Africa 2026 kicked off at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday, September 16.

The Global Entrepreneurship Congress Africa (GEC+Africa) 2026 took centre stage at the Cape Town International Convention Centre this week.

The theme for this year’s congress was “Connecting Africa”, reflecting the importance of stronger connections between entrepreneurs, markets, capital, policymakers, corporates and ecosystem support organisations in unlocking Africa’s economic potential.

Hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Africa and 22 On Sloane, GEC+Africa is Africa’s largest entrepreneurship gathering, bringing together the people shaping the continent’s entrepreneurship ecosystem to connect, exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore opportunities across borders.

The congress brought together startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, corporates and entrepreneurship ecosystem organisations from across Africa and beyond.

The two-day congress ran from Wednesday, September 16, to Thursday, September 17. 

Former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe delivered the keynote address during the opening of GEC+Africa 2026.

Former President Kgalema Motlanthe officially opened the GEC+Africa.

Delivering his keynote address, Motlanthe highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship and inclusive economic participation in shaping Africa’s future.

He emphasised that small businesses and startup founders are vital drivers for long-term growth and job creation in Africa.

His address also highlighted the importance of leveraging new ideas and inclusive development models to empower young people and future generations.

Motlanthe now leads the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation, which promotes dialogue, youth development, education, and social cohesion across Africa. 

Edna Sathekga-Montse, Group Chief Transformation and Sustainability Officer at African Bank.

Edna Sathekga-Montse, Group Chief Transformation and Sustainability Officer at African Bank, told delegates entrepreneurs are transforming communities every day.

“Africa does not suffer from a shortage of ideas. It does not suffer from a shortage of ambition. What it too often lacks are systems that can keep pace with the people determined to build our future, our entrepreneurs. Across Africa, entrepreneurs are building tomorrow’s economy today. The challenge is that our institutions are often still catching up,” she said. 

Sathekga-Montse said entrepreneurs are using digital platforms to reach customers, mobile technologies to transact, and innovation to solve problems that have persisted for generations. 

“In cities, townships, villages, and growing economic hubs, they are creating opportunity where others see obstacles. Yet, too many of these entrepreneurs still face barriers that have little to do with talent or effort.

“Access to finance remains limited. Regulatory processes can be slow. Market access is uneven, and many promising businesses struggle to move from survival to scale. The opportunity before us is therefore not simply about technology; it is about what technology makes possible,” she said. 

Sathekga-Montse emphasised that entrepreneurship is one of Africa’s greatest growth engines because it converts innovation into productivity, investment, and jobs. 

She said digital transformation supports that process and inclusive growth ensures that its benefits reach more people, more communities, and more economies across Africa. 

“Our task is to build financial systems, markets, and public institutions that can keep pace with the people doing it. When more of their enterprises can move from promise to scale, entrepreneurship becomes one of Africa’s strongest engines of growth.

“The question before us is not whether Africa’s entrepreneurs are ready. They already are. The pertinent question is whether our institutions, our markets, and our partnerships are ready to match their ambition,” Sathekga-Montse said. 

City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth James Vos.

On the last day of the conference, City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth James Vos said the theme for the congress spoke directly to what economic growth is ultimately about. 

He said that often what businesses need from government isn’t another programme or strategy. 

“They simply need government to work better. Because innovation in government doesn’t need to be complicated. They need us to make things easier,” he said, adding that he welcomed the renewed national focus on red tape reduction and ease of doing business. 

Vos explained that this is not about one sphere of government competing with another. 

“We all want the same thing: more investment, more businesses succeeding and, most importantly, more jobs.”

“Innovation in government doesn’t have to be complicated. It is often simply about finding practical solutions to everyday problems. Find the blockage. Get the right people around the table. Fix what we can. Measure whether it worked. And keep improving,” Vos said. 

He said Cape Town focused support where the Mother City has competitive advantages and where it has potential for investment and jobs.

“That includes technology, BPO, the green economy, manufacturing, tourism, clothing and textiles, marine manufacturing and the creative economy. And we work with industry specialists because government doesn’t have all the answers. Our job is to understand where the opportunities are, what is holding businesses back, and what we can practically do about it,” Vos said. 

Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni delivered the keynote address at the GEC+Africa 2026 on Thursday.

In her keynote address on its last day, Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni outlined a strategic pivot in government policy towards measuring real-world economic outcomes rather than mere administrative output.

“The world needs what Africa has. But our greatest asset is not what lies beneath our soil; it is our people. Africa possesses the youngest and fastest-growing population on the planet. By the middle of this century, 2.5 billion of the world’s 10 billion people will be African. We are the workforce, the consumers, and the innovators who will sustain future global growth,” the minister said. 

“And technology, if it is managed properly, will open doors to finance and global markets for millions of Africans previously confined to the margins of survivalism,” she said. 

According to Ndabeni, Africa stands on the precipice of an entrepreneurial revolution. But, she said, only if African governments step up. 

“Invest in entrepreneurship and innovation, establish smart, enabling regulatory frameworks, and partner with others in the ecosystem, including the private sector, universities, and various other entrepreneurship support organisations.

This is what we are trying to do in South Africa,” Ndabeni said.

In her address, Ndabeni challenged the public sector's traditional approach to assessing small business interventions, calling for a transition from tracking simple operational metrics to evaluating tangible business survival and market expansion.