Cape Town will be the hub of innovation on October 16th and 17th, 2024, as it hosts the Elevate Your Enterprise Summit, organised by business school, Pranary. This premier event aims to unite global thought leaders, industry pioneers, and ambitious entrepreneurs, focusing on key drivers of business growth: Marketing, Technology, and Investments, with a special emphasis on Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT.
A Vision for Empowerment and Growth
Born out of a commitment to empower African entrepreneurs, the summit addresses a critical need for practical, actionable insights tailored to the unique challenges of the African business landscape. “The Elevate Your Enterprise Summit was born from our commitment to empowering entrepreneurs,” says Sandras Phiri, CEO of Pranary.
“We recognised a critical need for practical, actionable knowledge tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities in the African business landscape.”
This year’s summit revolves around “Growth via Marketing, Funding, and AI.” It aims to provide entrepreneurs with cutting-edge strategies in digital marketing, insights into securing funding in the current economic climate, and exploration of AI’s role in scaling businesses. Phiri adds, “Our goal is to equip entrepreneurs with cutting-edge strategies in digital marketing, provide insights into securing funding in the current economic climate, and explore how AI can be leveraged to scale businesses efficiently.”
Targeting established SMEs and startups ready for expansion, the summit seeks to equip participants with the knowledge, confidence, and connections needed to elevate their businesses. Attendees will learn to optimise marketing expenditures, prepare compelling investor pitches, and develop a clear growth roadmap.
“We hope attendees gain not just knowledge, but also the confidence and connections needed to take their businesses to the next level,” says Phiri.
Insights and Innovation for Future Growth
The summit promises an exciting lineup of speakers, including successful African entrepreneurs, venture capitalists focused on African startups and AI experts. Interactive workshops will offer hands-on experience with the latest marketing and AI tools. The event stands out for its focus on practical, implementable strategies and its AI-enhanced personalisation, ensuring a tailored experience for each attendee. Phiri notes, “The Elevate Your Enterprise Summit stands out in its laser focus on practical, implementable strategies. We’re not just about inspirational talks – though there will be plenty of those – we’re about equipping entrepreneurs with tools they can use immediately.”
Participants can expect to leave with a toolkit of strategies for creating and executing effective digital marketing plans, preparing compelling pitch decks, and integrating AI into their operations. The summit will also provide valuable connections and a renewed sense of business potential. “We want participants to leave with a toolkit of strategies they can apply immediately,” says Phiri. “Beyond these, we hope they gain valuable connections and a renewed sense of what’s possible for their businesses.”
With AI advancing rapidly and increasing global interest in African startups, the summit will highlight these trends through dedicated sessions on AI integration and investor connections. Pranary envisions the Elevate Your Enterprise Summit becoming Africa’s premier business growth event, with plans to expand to more cities and create a year-round community for continued learning and collaboration. Phiri shares, “We envision the Elevate Your Enterprise Summit becoming the premier business growth event in Africa. We plan to expand our reach to more African cities and create a year-round community where the connections and learnings from the summit can continue to flourish.”
Miss Lucky
Thuli Madonsela – Former Public Protector, Current Professor of Law, holding a chair in social justice at Stellenbosch University since January 2018. \”Thuli Madonsela is very centred. Her leadership style is non-reactive and very clearly on point. She signals her intention and she holds her presence. This gives her enormous integrity and adds credibility and moral authority to her professional presence,\” says Liz de Wet, course convenor of the Women in Leadership programme at the UCT Graduate School of Business. Thuli Madonsela\’s greatest influence on the business industry is being a voice of integrity and reminding business leaders of the importance of ethical governance and business practises. \”Business is in a position of power and privilege, and business has a voice‚ in the same way that when you become an advocate‚ you have a voice. It also means that you have an obligation to leverage your influence for good‚\” said Madonsela. In 2014, she made Time Magazine\’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2016, she was named Forbes Africa Person of the Year. In 2017, she won the 3rd Commonwealth Law Conference Rule of Law Award.