Lara Rosmarin, Chief Executive Officer of South Africa-based Seed Academy, has noted that although the tech/venture capital landscape in South Africa is in its infancy, the sector is growing rapidly.
In an exclusive interview with Innovation Village, Rosmarin said the sector still has a long way to go when compared with that of Silicon Valley which has been in existence for about 20 years.
“The tech/Venture Capital landscape in South Africa is in its infancy, but is growing relatively quickly. Silicon Valley has been going for more than 20 years. That said a number of South African entrepreneurs who have moved to Silicon Valley have been extremely successful, and can certainly hold their own. The South African ecosystem still has a long way to go before we can be a fierce competitor to Silicon Valley,” she told Innovation Village.
Concerning roles of female entrepreneurs in South Africa, she said Seed Academy believes that female entrepreneurs can compete favourably with their male counterparts.
“The generic image of women who work is changing. Women are multifaceted – [they are] able to fulfill many roles and excel in various fields. The female entrepreneurs who I have had the pleasure of working with are focused, driven, incredibly smart and highly committed. I believe that entrepreneurs with a combination of the right drive and focus coupled with sound businesses practices have a higher chance of success,” she said.
The academy is currently running a startup survey (pops up on its website) where the academy is investigating the challenges startups face.
“One of the challenges we are very aware of is access to funding. Our intention is to collate and publish the findings of a survey in an attempt to engage relevant stakeholders to create ways in which we can successfully address this challenge. When the startup has traction has shown there is great potential is easier to come by. The more committed, effective and innovative the entrepreneur are, the likely the funding. We want to create an environment where key stakeholders are clamouring to invest,” she told Innovation Village.
