Growing Ideas, Growing Impact: Sustainable Entrepreneurship for A Greener Future
By Somila Liwani
GCBR Carien Meyer (Friends of the Biosphere Programme Coordinator) and Somila Liwani (Project Support Officer) had the opportunity to attend the IYBA SEED Innovative Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Weaver training from 28–29 January 2025 in Cape Town that has been sponsored by GIZ. Facilitated by Dr. Shawn Cunningham and Nigel Gwynne Evans, the training focused on fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems that drive sustainability and regional transformation.
This experience was more than just a workshop it was an engaging platform filled with group discussions, practical activities, and meaningful networking opportunities. A key focus was understanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem: the people, infrastructure, and support systems that help new and existing businesses flourish. The training also emphasised recognising our roles within this ecosystem and leveraging our strengths and weaknesses to identify opportunities for growth
Aligning Entrepreneurship with Conservation
One of our biggest takeaways was how entrepreneurship aligns with GCBR’s mission of conservation, sustainability, and resilience. A well supported entrepreneurial ecosystem can drive eco-tourism, regenerative agriculture, and green businesses, ensuring economic growth while protecting natural resources. Our immediate surroundings and key players in our environment present opportunities, and by thinking like entrepreneurs, we can create innovative solutions to conservation challenges.
This training reminded us that entrepreneurship is not just about economic growth it is about solving problems, strengthening communities, and creating opportunities. When conservation and business are treated as two sides of the same coin, the results are not just growing enterprises but also a future where people and nature thrive together.
Bringing the Lessons Home
Following the training, Carien and Somila hosted a feedback session with the GCBR team, sharing key points and conducting similar activities to help identify areas where entrepreneurial support can be expanded. After the feedback session, they returned to Cape Town for the second phase of the workshop on 20th of February, where they refined strategies to further strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems within the biosphere reserve. This process has been valuable in exploring how we can better impact our stakeholders and key players to create a thriving ecosystem that is beneficial not only to each other but to our ultimate goal of having people and nature living in harmony.
