ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Masterclass by Ma has key to SA’s growth
Asia’s richest man was in SA in August to launch a $10m fund for entrepreneurs in Africa
It’s a pity President Cyril Ramaphosa didn’t make his scheduled address at a UN conference in August because he could have heard Alibaba founder Jack Ma give a masterclass on entrepreneurship. Asia’s richest man was in SA in August to launch a $10m fund for entrepreneurs in Africa, the Jack Ma Foundation Netpreneur Prize. It will fund 100 young African entrepreneurs for 10 years, hoping to empower "a new generation of entrepreneurs, and focusing on small business growth, grassroots innovation and women founders". It was announced at the Netpreneurs: The Rise of Africa’s Digital Lions conference, organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), the Alibaba Business School and the Jack Ma Foundation.
When Ma took the stage at the packed Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg, he was given a rousing welcome by an audience that included many young entrepreneurs and start-ups. The story of Alibaba’s improbable success and Ma’s rags-to-riches story is now legendary, espe...
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