New Cape Town portal for entrepreneurs

Known as Cape Town Activa Web Portal, the initiative aims to develop an excellent ecosystem for entrepreneurs, transforming Cape Town into a city that is open for business and attractive to outside investors. It was established to create an enabling environment for enhanced collaboration among public and private sector stakeholders interested in entrepreneurship.

It seeks to lobby issues facing entrepreneurs, ultimately giving them a unified voice and providing a first stop solution to anyone operating in this space. From an individual with a business idea, but no plan to get it off the ground; to an entrepreneur in the first few years of operation requiring access to an incubator environment; or entrepreneurs looking to take their venture to the next level - things just got easier with this development.

Lavendra Naidoo, GM of The Business Place eKapa and the implementing partner of the initiative, commented, "Every internet café, public library and smart phone just became an Activa branch, thanks to the new user-friendly web portal. We are very excited that this resource-rich portal will now be accessible to anyone with an internet connection, negating the need to catch a train or take a taxi to an Activa centre.

By connecting entrepreneurs to organisations keen to support their endeavours, exciting business potential is maximised. It bridges the gap between where entrepreneurs are currently and where they want to be. In addition, the initiative seeks to contribute to the development of human capital by creating a mechanism to make job seekers in the city more employable and direct them towards support services wherever possible.

Support organisation network critical

A key component of this business ecosystem is the support organisation network. These organisations provide a myriad of skills, training, information and tools for entrepreneurs that offer a catalyst to economic development. For any organisation looking to offer such support and become involved in a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem mandated by the City, the possibility of an exciting partnership awaits by registering on the web portal to ensure the best possible service offering to the citizens of Cape Town.

Alderman Belinda Walker said, "Cape Town is positioning itself as an opportunity city for entrepreneurs and we continue to work at removing barriers to entry. Cape Town Activa is one of our chief initiatives that will create the enabling environment to allow entrepreneurs to seize these opportunities."

All players in this exciting space are encouraged to get connected and explore the potential for renewed business prospects in Cape Town and for citizens to make use of the information and support provided by the web portal, Alderman Walker added.

It ultimately aims to develop a world-class entrepreneurship and job-seekers ecosystem that transforms Cape Town into the entrepreneurs' city of choice on the continent and a city open for business for outside investors. With the launch of the new web portal, the initiative is one step closer to reaching this goal. For more information, go to www.capetownactiva.com or Facebook or Twitter @ctactiva.