ICSB 2004 World Conference

The 49th ICSB World Conference was held in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 20-23, 2004. The conference was the first time that ICSB has held a World Conference in Africa. The conference was organized by SAESBA, the SME agency NTSIKA, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

The theme of the conference was “Globalization and its impact on Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development in the Developing World.” Under this umbrella, a vast amount of presentations and discussions were held, ranging from pure academic to very practical and basic.

It was a great honor for SAESBA and the ICSB that the President of the Republic of South Africa Thabo Mbeki addressed the conference during the opening session. He expressed his concern about recent political developments on the African continent, and stressed that small business development can contribute to economic development in general and thus to solving regional conflicts.

At the opening session David Moshapalo, President of SAESBA (the ICSB affiliate for Southern Africa) exclaimed: “It is Africa’s time”, and he was right. This conference was different from all previous conferences and truly encompassed the local culture. The conference organizers (SAESBA, the SME agency NTSIKA, and the Department of Trade and Industry) did their utmost to create an African atmosphere and to make the conference a success by providing African dance, music and food.

ICSB members from around the world attended the event and included researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and many small business owners. Most importantly, though, was the presence of a stong delegation from Africa, not only from South Africa, but from many other African countries. For many African participants this was their first international conference. It was only 10 years ago that apartheid had officially been banned and black South Africans had the opportunity to start their own business. The conference was an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss opportunities and learn from other small business people around the globe.

Participants took part in business exhibitions and discussions with products ranging from traditional craft to high-tech innovations. At the end of the conference the Presidency of the ICSB was handed over from Dr. Jose M. Romaguera (ICSB-Puerto Rico and Caribbean) to Dr. Sandra King Kauanui (USASBE) to the tune of traditional African dance and song which brought an end to a historical ocassion.