World Small Business Body To Meet In Durban

SME Conference for Durban

The World Association for Small & Medium Enterprises (WASME) will hold its 19th International Conference on SMEs (ICSME) in Durban on 18-21 September 2013. Taking place alongside the Durban Business Fair, which celebrates 15 years of successful operation this year, the 19th ICSME will bring together delegates from around the world, comprising policymakers, local governments, SME support organisations, business associations, commercial banks and development finance institutions, researchers and academics and entrepreneurs for 2,5 days of focused discussion on SME promotion. Organised under the theme: “Beyond the downturn – revitalizing the global economy through small and medium enterprises”, the conference will cast the spotlight on the role that SMEs worldwide can play in lifting the global economy to higher levels of growth and job creation. “The conference comes at a time when a large part of the global economy, including that of South Africa, struggles to lift performance to levels that can spur growth and create much-needed jobs”, says Septi Bukula, Director of the 19th ICSME. “The conference will bring together leading thinkers in the field to share experiences and lessons on policies and programmes that can help countries grow their small business sector and thereby create employment”.

The conference’s headline speaker, Mr Ashish Thakkar, is a successful young entrepreneur with diverse companies operating in 26 countries, with more than 7,000 employees. Dubbed Africa’s youngest billionaire, Thakkar, who is also the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader will share his story on how he founded and grew his company, the Mara Group, which had its beginnings in Uganda, East Africa. Some fifteen international and several South African speakers, all leading specialists in the SME field and entrepreneurs, will address the conference. The conference is endorsed and sponsored by the EThekwini Municipality, Department of Economic Development & Tourism (KwaZulu-Natal), Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, the Durban Chamber of Commerce & Industry and ABSA Bank. It will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. For more details visit www.wasmeicsme2013.org.

(Source - ICSME)