Woensdag 12 april 2017 was minister Koenders van Buitenlandse Zaken op werkbezoek in Kaapstad. Het bezoek was met name gericht op de bruisende technologische start-ups in deze regio. Op uitnodiging van het Nederlandse consulaat was Laméco Cape Town hier dan ook graag bij aanwezig.
Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands was welcomed and received by Consul General Bonnie Horbach on 12 April 2017 in Cape Town as part of his official visit to South Africa. The Minister explored Cape Town's startup scene at the Woodstock Exchange and met with local and Dutch business owners.
The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cape Town aims to actively promote inclusive economic growth and support Dutch businesses by strengthening entrepreneurship and cross sectoral cooperation in South Africa. This is most evident through its #cocreateSA campaign, which is based on the belief that sustainable solutions can be co-created by working together.
As part of the #cocreateSA campaign, the TenaCiTi programme, was initiated by the Consulate General in collaboration with the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), in response to feedback received from Dutch business owners in Cape Town. The programme aims to equip junior staff of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups with the necessary soft skills to enter into the work space after completing their studies.
On April 12 the Minister was joined at the TenaCiti Lab by TenaCiTi participants and Dutch business owners in Cape Town for a roundtable conversation. Facilitated by Mignon Keyser, strategic facilitator to the programme, the discussions touched on why Dutch entrepreneurs are attracted to Cape Town’s startup scene and the subsequent challenges they experienced; as well as the experience of junior recruits and small business owners participating in the TenaCiTi programme. Minister Koenders showed significant interest in the “attractions of Cape Town as a business destination” and was “impressed with how the Dutch entrepreneurs were facing their challenges in the local market.”
Participant in the discussion, South African small business owner and CEO of Laméco Cape Town, Blyde Wright commented, “Laméco Cape Town thrives on providing local businesses with the technology and experience learned from our sister branch, Laméco Eindhoven. Together with our Dutch team and the amazing work of the Dutch Consulate, we are able to maximize on benefitting the local economy with our services. Cape Town is an exciting place for startups!”
The roundtable conversation confirmed that through the TenaCiTi programme, businesses were able to build enabling relationships with their junior staff and succeed in harnessing staff potential to directly contribute to the bottom line. Junior recruits verified that the TenaCiTi coaching sessions had equipped them with soft skills that include learning how to communicate in the workplace and how to be practically effective in a professional environment. Minister Koenders was interested to hear their stories and congratulated them on their “courageous journey so far”.
He was encouraged by “the Consulate’s collaborations were true to the vision of co-creating sustainable solutions in South Africa.”
#cocreateSA is a platform for South African and Dutch counterparts to exchange ideas and innovations for a sustainable future. It stimulates collaboration between South Africa and the Netherlands based on the belief that if we work together, we can make a difference and co-create solutions for local challenges. #cocreateSA is an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa, capturing the true essence of modern foreign diplomacy: building relationships, putting the demand at the core of our discussions and focusing on long-term commitments and partnerships.
The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), develops globally competitive tech and innovation sectors to enable sustainable economic growth and greater employment. For more on CiTi: www.citi.org.za. About The Woodstock Exchange.
Laméco is a software development firm specializing in Web and App technologies. Our offices are based in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town and our clients range from big brand names , to startups kicking off from "ground zero”.
