Cape Town, South Africa, June 23, 2023 – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Sub regional Office for Southern Africa (ECA SRO-SA) in collaboration with the SADC Business Council held a three-day regional meeting on Technology and Innovation for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Southern Africa. The meeting was preceded by a presentation on TechniAfrica, a Technology and Innovation Platform which is being set up to boost MSMEs capacities to innovate through learning and collaboration.
The two events stimulated discussions among key stakeholders on the role of technology and innovation for MSMEs and assessed the major gaps in relation to innovation eco-systems. Participants reflected on key policy issues that need reform in order to better support MSMEs and exchanged information and best practices.
In her opening remarks, Nomvula Makgotlho, Acting Deputy Director General, Department of Small Business Development, Republic of South Africa emphasized the importance of MSMEs as engines of innovation in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and noted that, “MSMEs are a critical component of the broader Science, Technology, and Innovation agenda and by extension, an integral part of the ecosystem. It is therefore in the interest of governments and public sector to encourage and facilitate a solid STI ecosystem where MSMEs are playing a role. The lack of investment in MSME start-ups would be a lost opportunity for any developing country”.
Isatou Gaye, Chief Sub Regional Initiatives for her part pointed out that as the region emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic “there was need to reinvent and innovate in energy, healthcare, agriculture and above all new business models and products to drive prosperity, support economic transformation within the region and get back on track towards achieving inclusive and sustainable development.”
Peter Varndell, Chief Executive Officer of the SADC Business Council, a regional apex body of national business associations and corporate entities of the 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. made a presentation on technology and innovation and the collaboration efforts with the ECA
“We are a strong and reliable support system for business in the region and aim to promote information sharing between SADC and bring in the private sector expertise in policy making processes,” he stated.
To better understand the innovation ecosystem of MSMEs in Southern Africa, case studies were presented from selected countries on the state of technology and innovation for MSMEs and how they are leveraging innovative approaches to participate in value-chains and trade. These expert presentations were complemented by evidence-based surveys conducted by the ECA on the impacts of Covid-19 and Ukraine Crisis on MSMEs in Southern Africa undertaken in the 11 member states of ECA-SRO-SA namely Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Bineswaree Bolaky, project coordinator and ECA Economic Affairs Officer stressed that to address the challenge of SMEs access to finance, the next step is to “think outside the box and address concrete measures to connect to market solutions and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement to access markets beyond borders. Sustainability for MSMEs depend on their capacity to compete on national, regional, continental and global markets”.
The meeting brought together, senior representatives of the ministries and agencies in charge of MSMEs and those in charge of technology and innovation in the eleven member states served by ECA-SRO-SA. Also present were chief executive officers of national chambers of commerce and industry and other senior representatives of national business associations, members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), SADC, COMESA Business Council and SADC Business Council and other relevant stakeholders.
Issued by:
The Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa
UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
P.O. Box 30647, Lusaka, Zambia.
Media Contacts:
Mrs. Lavender Degre,
Communication Officer,
Tel: +260 211 228502/5 Ext. 21307
DL: +260 211 376607
Email: lavender.degre@un.org
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