Indalo Inclusive South Africa NPC is hosting their annual flagship Hybrid Symposium on the 29th and 30th of March 2022 at the CSIR (ICCU) in Pretoria as well as an online platform will be made available to those delegates that can’t attend the event physically. The Symposium will be presented under the umbrella of year’s theme “Mobilise sustainable climate finance instruments to support entrepreneurial innovations for a resilient, socially inclusive, low carbon and just economic transition in South Africa”
The Symposium is convened by Indalo Inclusive in partnership with Government of Flanders, Nedbank and supported by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) The Symposium is a strategic component of the project “Reaping the Potential of Entrepreneurship for a Climate-Smart Inclusive Green Economy in South Africa” (ECSIGE), Funded by the Government of Flanders.
Building upon the work of ECISGE, we are also proud to announce Nedbank as a co-partner through the implementation of the Indalopreneur South African Green and Inclusive Enterprise Awards and Support Programme (SiAGIA). Poovi Pillay, Executive Head for Nedbank Foundation says, “The impact of the Indalopreneur Programme is to create sustainable enterprises that grow and lead to green job creation, which, in turn, contributes to economic growth over the long-term. And as an active and concerned corporate citizen, Nedbank continues to seek out meaningful opportunities to contribute, synergistic partnerships and innovative solutions to enact a lasting change in the green economy for future generations and this partnership holds true meaning.”
Indalo Inclusive is a non-profit company that promotes and support of eco-inclusive entrepreneurship and the promotion of responsible business practices. In everything they do, entrepreneurship and the environment are joined, each aspect as important as the other. The symposium will provide and showcase the ethos of Indalo’s work cutting across current projects and activities and in particular responds to the current narratives and discourse for a green recovery and a just transition towards a sustainable and inclusive economy.
“We sometimes forget that even before Covid-19 broke out, our country’s economy was on its knees – thanks to consecutive quarters of negative growth, credit downgrades and massive job losses. The pandemic simply made things worse. Millions of people have lost their jobs or their businesses, and many have little hope of getting back on their feet without massive stimulus to the economy, powered by more than government alone” explained Rest Kanju, Director and Head of Operations at Indalo Inclusive
The outlook across the South African economic landscape is bleak. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) of June 2021, the official unemployment rate was 32,6%. This rate
was 46,3% among young people aged 15 – 34 years, implying that almost one in every two young people in the labour force did not have a job in the first quarter of 2021.
A deeper dive into the statistical outlook is even more worrying to say the least. If this alone, juxtaposed with the projected risks emanating from climate change on communities because of increased temperatures and natural disasters such as floods and drought, does not heighten the urgency of action, as a collective we ought to ask ourselves, if we serious about our role in society, or not?
Where will this stimulus come from? Multiple sources. Entrepreneurship offers one of the best immediate and long-term strategies to get people working, especially in underdeveloped communities who bear the brunt of the pandemic.
These days, entrepreneurship cannot stand alone. It needs to be intrinsically linked to responses to environmental degradation and global warming, which threatens both species and livelihoods. This is what Indalo Inclusive calls Indalopreneurship! A type of entrepreneurship that brings together the positive net triple bottom impact on the economy, environment, and society.
The Hybrid Symposium will consist of an opening ceremony followed by a panel discussion and then break into parallel discussions which will include themes such as:
▪ Climate Adaptation Finance –Showcasing and mobilising support for local entrepreneurial innovations relevant for climate adaptation finance within the rural landscape of South Africa
▪ Just Transition – Opportunities for grassroot entrepreneurial innovations for a just energy transition.
▪ Women led entrepreneurial innovations – Accelerating gender responsive climate action through entrepreneurial support and showcasing women-led innovations
▪ Youth and Inclusive innovations – Youth inclusivity is a driver for positive climate action and climate-smart innovations in South Africa
▪ Food Waste and Loss (FWL) – Transitioning to a circular food economy: exploring and supporting food waste and loss innovations and solutions
The symposium will bring entrepreneurship and the environment together in ways that are bound to excite and stimulate anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit looking for innovative solutions to grow and advance their enterprise.
To register please click on this link https://iisa.org.za/indalo-inclusive-hybrid-symposium-2022
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