Minister Maynier welcomes all at the Fifth Western Cape Funding Fair 2019

I would like to begin by extending a warm welcome to you all to the Western Cape Funding Fair.

Whether you are looking to start a small business, or whether you are looking to expand a small business.  

Whether you are seeking funding for a small business, or whether you are extending funding to a small business.

Whether you know a lot about small business, or whether you want to learn more about small business.

You are all welcome to the fifth Western Cape Funding Fair here in a cold and thankfully wet Cape Town.

We have to confront the fact that thousands of people, especially young people, do not have jobs, or have given up looking for jobs, in the Western Cape.

They live without independence, without dignity, without freedom, and without hope.

Which is why the top priority of the newly elected Premier, Alan Winde, and this government is to create opportunities for growth and jobs in the Western Cape.

We cannot do it alone and that is why I would like to thank all our partners – and there are many - in the private sector who have stepped up to work with government to achieve our goals in the Western Cape.

And there is no better example of this kind of partnership than Deloitte - Western Cape’s work with government on delivering the Western Cape Funding Fair.

A special thank you to Marius Alberts, Regional Leader: Deloitte - Western Cape, who was not able to join us today, but who has worked so hard over the past five years to “land” the Western Cape Funding Fair.

And, of course, I would also like to thank the expert panellists and the exhibitors who have taken time out to join us today and participate in the Western Cape Funding Fair.

This may be the fifth Western Cape Funding Fair, but this is my first Western Cape Funding Fair, where we aim to support and promote entrepreneurship and small business, principally:

• by providing a platform for entrepreneurs who want to learn more about how to turn ideas into bankable plans which can attract funding; and

• by providing a platform to facilitate interaction between entrepreneurs who require funding and enterprises who extend funding.

We need more entrepreneurs, because you are the innovators, you are the creators and you are the employers, with the capacity to begin to give independence, to give dignity, to give freedom and to give hope to people, especially young people, who do not have jobs, or who have given up looking for jobs, in the Western Cape.

We hope the Western Cape Funding Fair provides you with the opportunity, or the inspiration, to start a new small business, or to expand an existing small business, in the Western Cape.

We have created the opportunity. What you do with the opportunity depends on you. So, over to you.

Thank you.