About us
What is GEW?
GEW is a worldwide celebration of innovation and ambition. It’s a week packed with events, competitions, and networking opportunities designed to empower anyone with the dream of becoming an entrepreneur. With millions of participants across 200+ countries, it’s the perfect time to take the plunge and turn your ideas into reality. For 2024, the Garden Route is all about creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial community, where everyone—no matter where they come from or what challenges they face—has the chance to succeed.
Get ready for a week of inspiration, connection, and growth!
Every November, Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) brings together millions of people around the world to celebrate the power of entrepreneurship, and this year, the Garden Route is joining the global movement. From 18 – 24 November 2024, we’ll be bringing together passionate entrepreneurs, dreamers, investors, and game-changers from every corner of the region. Whether you’re an aspiring founder, an early-stage business owner, or just someone with a spark of an idea, this week is for you!
Why Garden Route GEW?
This year, our goal is simple: to inspire, connect, and elevate the entrepreneurs of the Garden Route region. From young dreamers to seasoned business owners, we want to make sure everyone has access to the tools, networks, and resources they need to thrive. Over the course of the week, we’ll be hosting dynamic workshops, hands-on masterclasses, engaging panel discussions, and opportunities for you to meet investors, mentors, and like-minded individuals who can help bring your business to life.
Whether you’re looking for business advice, startup funding, or just a fresh perspective, Garden Route GEW 2024 has something for you.
Who Should Get Involved?
The answer is simple: everyone! If you’ve got the drive to take your entrepreneurial ideas to the next level, this event is for you. We’re particularly focused on making sure that women, youth, and underrepresented communities get the support they need to succeed. Aspiring entrepreneurs will find inspiration and resources, early-stage founders can connect with investors and mentors, and local business owners will learn how to scale up in a changing economy.
This event is also for anyone in the entrepreneurial ecosystem: educators, investors, policymakers, corporates, and nonprofits looking to spark innovation, grow networks, and contribute to a thriving entrepreneurial community.
How We’ll Make a Difference
Garden Route GEW 2024 isn’t just about talk—it’s about action. We’re here to inspire local entrepreneurs by showcasing the success stories of those who’ve already taken the leap. Through hands-on workshops and masterclasses, we’ll help you level up your skills, whether it’s learning how to pitch your startup or navigating the world of digital marketing. It’s about creating lasting connections, fostering collaboration, and giving everyone the chance to grow.
At the heart of it all, we’ll be building a more inclusive and diverse entrepreneurial community where people from all backgrounds feel empowered to chase their dreams, by focusing on underrepresented groups.
Investment Readiness
Master Class Tracks
TRACK ONE
Youth in Entrepreneurship – Young people from across the region will be trained by the NYDA after which selected participants from the different towns will come together at the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Week in George for a master class training program – Investment Readiness.
TRACK TWO
Emerging Entrepreneurs – up and coming entrepreneurs will be trained and taken through the process of Investment Readiness by SEDA, over a two-day period at the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Week in George. This track is for all entrepreneurs who work with or want to work with government on levels – Government Supplier Readiness
TRACK THREE
Established Entrepreneurs – DEDAT will train and assist the more establish entrepreneurs and will help them to scale their businesses through both offline and online avenues. We will be working with more established business and focus on the use of AI within businesses to be Investment Ready.
TRACK FOUR
Informal Trader – aspiring traders will be introduced to the concepts as well as the basics of formalizing your business. The Western Cape Informal Traders Coalition will run a 2-day workshop with traders to demystify the formulation of your business with traders.
TRACK FIVE
Social Entrepreneurship – Track 5 will focus on transforming the NGO / NPO sector by developing social entrepreneurs. The old model of running and managing NGO / NPO will change to a lean and agile model, post the Covid-19 pandemic. Join Global Entrepreneurship Week in George for a master class training program in the Social Entrepreneurship.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is a massive campaign to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs in every country and community around the world – especially those individuals who face structural barriers or may have never considered the idea of launching their own startup. Each November 10 million people take part in tens of thousands of activities, competitions and events that inspire them to act and provide them with the knowledge, experience and connections they need to succeed.
The closing of so many businesses and loss of jobs brought on by COVID-19 has been a wake- up call. Nations are rallying to reboot our economies for a better, more sustainable and equitable post-pandemic world. Meanwhile, they also are rethinking approaches to build back stronger and regenerate growth.
Global Entrepreneurship Week reaches beyond high-tech startup hubs like Silicon Valley, London and Shanghai – envisioning one entrepreneurial ecosystem open to all, including smaller cities in emerging economies and under-represented communities, whether systemically marginalized, geographically hard-to-reach or otherwise pushed aside or left out. International campaigns in 200+ countries are driven by local event organizers who plan activities tailored to their community’s needs.
