Having won the #UKProsperityGames2019 held in Cape Town in August 2019, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and UK-SA Tech Hub, delivered by DCMS, invited me to attend an action-packed (understatement) week in London with other like-minded African Tech Entrepreneurs.
And what a week it was.
20 Jan 2020
UK-Africa Investment SummitOpening event of the AIS with Heads of State, Ministers, CEOs, Senior Representatives etc. as speakers and attendees
Day 1 of the UK-Africa Investment Summit (AIS 2020), started the week with a bang. The impeccable level of preparation and quality of speakers elevated everyone’s (already) high expectations of events for the remainder of the week: Heads of State, Ministers, CEOs, Senior Representatives from African and British Businesses, Institutional Investors, International Organisations, Financial Institutions and Civil Society, and of course – African Entrepreneurs attended the AIS 2020, every event’s organiser (and attendee’s!) dream guest list! It was a gathering of the who’s who of the public and private sector from both Africa and the UK. For us Entrepreneurs, it was an opportunity to engage at a macro level, raising our conversation from the micro detail of each of our businesses to that of wider application such as policy, country and continental challenges. An opportunity one does not get every day. As an Entrepreneur, you often need to create your own luck (more on that in a bit), and this luck usually comes from your network of contacts and access - the contacts made at the AIS 2020 will help many create luck in places they hadn’t thought of yet.
21 Jan 2020
Tech HUBVisit to Tech Hub, Shoreditch
Day 2 had a lot to live up to and started with a visit to the Tech Hub in Shoreditch – Tech Hub positions themselves as the “Global Community for Tech Entrepreneurs and Start-ups”. Globally, Tech Hub has supported 750 Start-ups, representing 60 nationalities, hosting 1,000 events per year, with members having raised more than $1B. As a cost conscious South African Entrepreneur, the idea of having access to a community that provides support in numerous ways to businesses, starting at £600 per year (you get a flexi-desk for 20 hours per week, and access to all support and events), is not only unheard of, but definitely worth looking at seriously.
21 Jan 2020
GoogleVisit to Google for Startups Campus
From the Tech Hub, we moved on to the Google for Startups Campus. Here we engaged in 3 different Masterclasses, covering key aspects of UK businesses being, impact, intellectual property, tax, grants, accounting and other important operational items to consider when doing business in the UK. The afternoon was informative and thought provoking with specialist speakers like lawyer, Adrian Dommisse, Accounts and Outsourcing Specialist, Michael O’Brien, Corporate Tax Specialist, Ross Parsler, Investor in Residence for Google for Start-ups, Anthony Catt and Mr. Dealmaker himself – Derek Goodwin. The sessions dealt with the key aspects to consider when looking to do business, and setup your business, in the UK. Obtained invaluable information and insight.
22 Jan 2020
GovernmentSession with the Government Digital Services Team
Day 3 involved a morning session with the Government Digital Services Team – the team responsible for taking the UK government digital, removing friction when dealing with government departments, and removing paper where possible. A big drive for the team is in supporting SME’s in the market by enabling SME’s to become vendors to the government. Currently, 44% of spending by the UK government is with SME’s – the South African government could learn a lot from this team.
22 Jan 2020
Houses of ParliamentVisit to Houses of Parliament with MP Helen Grant
In the afternoon it was time for us to don our suits as we were being hosted by MP Helen Grant at the Houses of Parliament. A first for all in attendance, we were introduced to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Room. Along with the Female Founders and Prosperity Games Entrepreneurs, we were offered the opportunity to network and talk with Parliamentarians, Investors and fellow Entrepreneurs. Standing in a room and a building that was built long before any African countries became industrialised was sobering to say the least, along with the £1,000 price tag for an original Houses of Parliament tile (sold at the curio shop)!
23 Jan 2020
Founders FactoryAfrican Entrepreneurs at the Founders Factory
After an intense 3 days, we were given a bit of breathing space on day 4, with a slightly later start than usual – we obviously did what any Entrepreneur would do, and arranged meetings to fill the time (Carpe Diem comes to mind, but with the high-energy of these Entrepreneurs, it’s in our DNA to maximise every opportunity). Following these meetings, we were off to the Founders Factory London, to discuss how the Founders Factory supports Start-ups in Africa to grow and scale. The Founders Factory team and the African Entrepreneurs had a fascinating conversation.
23 Jan 2020
Financial Conduct AuthorityInvaluable discussions with the UK Regulator
Following the Founders Factory, we were off to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA - UK’s Regulatory Authority) – who’s offices are next door the West Ham Stadium (if you enjoy soccer). Here we met with Paul Worthington, who is part of the policy enablement and global financial innovation network. Given that Monivation’s solution focuses on enabling cost effective, customer centric Regulatory Compliance solutions, through our Digital Compliance Officer, this was a highly anticipated, informative and valuable meeting for me. Paul explained how the FCA engages in the market, how they use their TechSprint Programme to assist businesses in solving the right problems, in the right way, and what the key areas of focus for the FCA currently are.
The meeting with the FCA ended the formal aspects of the week on a high note – the week was filled with inspiring discussions, networking, learning and sharing, all facilitated by the UK DIT and UK-SA Fintech Hub. In particular, Shirley Gilbey and Tracy-Lee Smith who walked us through the week (this is London, so walking everywhere is a given). They were exceptional hosts and made the trip an incredibly memorable experience.
As Steve Martin says:
Be so good, they can’t ignore you.
Well done to all the Entrepreneurs, Shirley and Tracy for an amazing week.
For those interested in following what the UK-SA Tech Hub is doing, follow them here or through any of the social media platforms listed below ...Article written by:
DAVID HARROWSMITHCo-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
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