Entrepreneurs have been encouraged to keep building businesses, creating jobs and finding opportunities despite the economic challenges facing the country.

This was the message at the Business Partners Limited Entrepreneur of the Year Awards gala dinner, held at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton on October 22. The awards recognise entrepreneurs who contribute to economic growth through innovation, job creation and business excellence.

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In her keynote address, FirstRand CEO Mary Vilakazi highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship in building a stronger economy. “

South Africa needs hope. And we know South Africa is resilient.” Vilakazi said the country needed entrepreneurs who could recognise challenges and continue building businesses despite uncertainty. “We need entrepreneurs who see our challenges clearly, and continue building anyway.”

Drawing on her own career, Vilakazi explained that some of her most valuable leadership lessons came from periods of uncertainty rather than stability. She said successful businesses needed to adapt to changing markets, understand their customers, and make decisions even when all the information was not available.

Vilakazi also highlighted the opportunities technology, including artificial intelligence, could create for smaller businesses by making capabilities that once required substantial investment more accessible.

Business leaders highlight job creation

Business Partners Limited MD Jeremy Lang said entrepreneurs made important contributions beyond financial performance. He said every job created could support a household, provide income and allow someone to build a better future.

“South Africa does not lack innovation, ambition, talent, or determination. What we must do is continue to build an environment in which these qualities are supported, but more importantly multiply.”

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Lang congratulated the finalists and acknowledged the challenges involved in building a business, including financial pressure, personal sacrifice and the uncertainty of running an enterprise.

The awards form part of Business Partners Limited’s commitment to supporting owner-managed businesses through funding, expertise and business networks. The company said it had invested more than R26.3b in South African businesses over 45 years, supporting the creation and preservation of more than 724 000 jobs.

Both speakers emphasised that entrepreneurship was about more than individual success. Growing businesses can create employment, support suppliers, develop skills and contribute to the communities in which they operate.

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