Build differently: global tech opportunities for SA Entrepreneurs

“One in four people in the world will be African by 2050,” declared global entrepreneur Ms Christine Souffrant Ntim at a roundtable discussion hosted by Universities South Africa (USAf) on Monday, 18 November 2024. Speaking to student women entrepreneurs as part of a United States (US) Embassy’s Speaker Programme, Ntim framed the demographic reality of Africa’s growing youth rate — not as a challenge, but as “an immense opportunity” for African entrepreneurs. 

This roundtable was targeted at coordinators and chapter executives of the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP), an initiative under USAf’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme. Hosted from USAf’s Kopanong Boardroom in Hatfield, Pretoria, the hybrid gathering had attracted 37 representatives from all 17 of the SWEEP chapters nationwide, most of whom joined the meeting online except two from the Sefako Makgatho University of Health Sciences in Pretoria (SMU), who attended in person alongside the senior USAf and EDHE officials.  

Mr Jake Goshert, Deputy Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Pretoria, explained that Ntim’s visit was part of a broader initiative. “Christine is here primarily for our women entrepreneurship summit, the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a global programme from the United States Department of State where we train women to be entrepreneurs in their own fields.”

“The pandemic has shown us that with the Internet, you could become global overnight,” Ntim explained. She outlined how digital transformation had democratised access to international markets. “You don’t need permission; you don’t need a board visa. You can literally reach audiences around the world just purely through technology.”

For South African entrepreneurs, this technological accessibility manifests in several ways. Ntim highlighted how entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria have built entire business models through Instagram direct messages. She emphasised the power of WhatsApp and Facebook groups, noting how many women are making money through these community platforms.

“Technology will be the equaliser,” she stated, “and many of you are aware the Internet has really become a huge equaliser, almost democratically giving people access to global markets.”

However, Ntim cautioned against blindly imitating Western tech companies. “I see too many entrepreneurs try to replicate the tech of the West and not replicating what they need here,” she observed. She questioned the tendency to create local versions of US companies like Uber and Facebook instead of building innovative ecosystems.

Instead, she advocates for authentic solutions to local problems. “There are certain companies that are tech startups, which have innovation and tech implanted in their DNA. But there’s also a whole host of businesses that are not tech companies, but they need to be tech enabled and tech empowered.”

From left, Dr Edwell Gumbo, Director: EDHE at USAf; Ms Zana Boshoff, Project Manager: EDHE; Ms Naledi Mathole, SWEEP Coordinator at the Sefako Makgatho University of Health Sciences (SMU); Ms Noluthando Nsele, SWEEP Chapter Deputy Chairperson at SMU; Ms Ntim, the guest speaker; Dr Phethiwe Matutu, Chief Executive Officer: USAf; Mr Jake Goshert, Deputy Cultural Affairs Officer: US Embassy in Pretoria; Ms Lerato Makgonyane, EDHE’s Stakeholder Engagement Administrator; and Ms Mamosa Makaya, Public Engagement Specialist at the US Embassy.

In a discussion that followed, a health sciences student raised concerns about balancing academic commitments with entrepreneurial ambitions. Ntim’s response was encouraging: “When you are a student trying to build a business, for some reason you’re taking multiple tries to build a business; people have more patience with you in the ecosystem.”

She elaborated on the unique advantages students possess: “Me, being so-called naive means I was bold, so I did things differently than the experts would have told me. Me, also being young and people not taking me seriously means that I could walk into rooms where I was unnoticed, but I was learning and soaking in every information I need[ed].”

Ntim went on to say that South Africa’s position, as one of the four main hubs across the continent (alongside Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya) offers local students unique advantages when applying for entrepreneurial programmes. “Strategically from a geographic standpoint, you already have an advantage over the other fifty countries on the continent,” she explained, adding that with American businesses eager to access Africa’s highly populated market, South Africa serves as a key gateway. “Being very clear that you’re South African-based might give you an edge simply because you’re coming from South Africa,” she noted.

Addressing questions about ecosystem development, Ntim outlined 10 critical stakeholders needed for entrepreneurial success, of which she mentioned seven. “Universities play a crucial role,” she explained, “not only in academic experience but in creating case studies for others to learn from.” She emphasised the importance of government policy and financial institutions, noting how traditional banks often struggle to understand new tech business models. 

Beyond these key stakeholders, Ntim stressed the importance of supporting structures: accelerator programmes, incubators, and networking events that connect entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, and corporate partners. Ntim stretched the importance of creating visibility around the availability and location of these ecosystem players. 

For students concerned about building professional networks, Ntim offered unconventional advice based on her experience. “When I was a student, I started to say, ‘I’m a student learning entrepreneurship. I see that you have a business. How can I help you?’” she explained.

She strongly advocated shadowing successful entrepreneurs: “Be humble enough to say ‘Can I shadow you for a moment? Can I shadow you for six months to serve you, and help you?’” Ntim emphasised that even shadowing for a week provides invaluable insights. “Being a fly on the wall in any setting will do something for you,” she noted, adding that this approach helps students understand the real dynamics of entrepreneurship while building meaningful connections.

“My vision of what entrepreneurship looks like is not typical,” Ntim explained. “I don’t anticipate that every entrepreneur who will find success will have entrepreneurship being done in the same typical way as a tech company or corporate.”

She cited successful examples across sectors: “We have a movement right now where we don’t have enough young people going into industries where we need them, like agriculture. We have a pilot programme in Ghana where we’re inspiring entrepreneurs to escape poverty by becoming agricultural farmers doing snail farming. One snail farm can literally change the dynamic of an entire household.”

Responding to questions about resource limitations, Ntim shared practical strategies for entering global markets. She described how entrepreneurs can now incorporate internationally through virtual office solutions and access global payment systems. “Thanks to PayPal and remittance platforms, people can actually take payments from global customers around the world,” she noted.

She also emphasised the importance of documenting ecosystem players. “If someone were to create a database just for the South African national ecosystem, that, by far, would scale your entrepreneurship programmes tenfold,” she explained. “Now an entrepreneur can know like, ‘Oh, there’s four [incubators] here and there’s two here.’ If she’s not really immersed in Johannesburg, she could go to Cape Town.”

Looking ahead, Ntim mentioned the unprecedented opportunity facing African entrepreneurs. With Africa set to have the youngest population globally by 2050, she sees tremendous potential for innovative solutions and global expansion.

“Build differently,” she concluded. ““The entrepreneurship journey is already hard as it is. But don’t forget that the other side of that journey is going to not only build you in a completely different way; you’re going to serve the entire audience, entire business community, in a very unique way. So, entrepreneurship without borders is here. You can go globally with your business, you just must have the tenacity, the dedication to your business and be patient with yourself.”

Christine Souffrant Ntim was the first in her family to attend college and build her own business. “I was born in the US, but I grew up in Haiti, in the Caribbeans –one of the poorest countries in the world.”  

Her own journey embodies the entrepreneurial spirit she advocates. “I grew up as a street vendor alongside my mom, my grandmother, and my aunt,” she shared. Her grandmother, who couldn’t sign her own name, built enough wealth as a street vendor in Haiti to educate her children and send them to the US. Her mother eventually migrated to New York, where she would sell Haitian artwork in Manhattan.

Today, Ntim leads the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE), which accelerates about 1,000 companies per year in partnership with approximately 90 plus different organisations globally.

During her entrepreneurial journey, Ntim founded the web-based platform, Vendedy (now a Harvard Business School case study) which connects tourists to street markets globally through a central digital database. Her current venture, GSE, operates the world’s first digital accelerator platform and the fastest-growing network of tech summit programmes in emerging markets. 

She has been featured and recognised on various global platforms including on Forbes 30 Under 30, TEDx, United Nations fora, World Economic Forum, Davos, AdAge 40 Under 40, Entrepreneur Magazine, Essence, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, Huffington Post, Inc Magazine, on the Haiti Changemakers 1804 List, and more.

They key, she reiterated, is leveraging modern technology to bypass traditional business requirements: from using free website builders to reaching global customers through social media—many entrepreneurs first income didn’t come from their local community, but from clients through direct messaging on social media. This is why technology is probably the biggest enabler.

Ntim also encouraged discretion in communicating their business journey, particularly with family sceptics. “Protecting that dream at all costs is very, very important so that you don’t get discouraged on that journey as it gets tough.” 

For SWEEP members Ntim’s insights came at a crucial time as the programme pulls out all stops to increase women’s participation in entrepreneurship. On this programme’s importance, Dr Matutu explained that while male students were succeeding in entrepreneurship, there was a clear need to provide targeted support for women. “These are very talented, committed groups of people. However, the structural biases and discrimination are still is there,” she noted, emphasising how these barriers affect mindsets and access to resources and opportunities.

As SWEEP continues to grow its presence across South African universities, sessions like these provide vital perspectives and practical strategies for the next generation of women entrepreneurs. The programme’s focus on combining local support with international insights exemplifies the very approach Ntim advocates: building from local strengths while reaching for global opportunities.

Tersia Gouws is a contract writer for Universities South Africa.