Jenny Crwys-Williams recently spoke to entrepreneur Vusi Thembekwayo who reviews nuts & bolts by McLean Sibanda that gives a roadmap towards strengthening Africa’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Thembekwayo shares what he learned when reading the book and some important light bulb moments he picked up through the contents of the book.
Listen to the full conversation here:
The slow pace of innovation
Thembekwayo shared his views on the pace we are moving, in Gauteng and it being so slow that we seem to be moving backward.
He touched on there being documented thought leaders who are constantly coming up with the right strategies for innovation.
He attributes the slow pace in the speed of execution being the will to see things through, by those driving innovations.
“He [McLean Sibanda] goes into great detail about the innovation ecosystem in Gauteng in particular, and it’s a fascinating book. I am must also confess that I found myself in the middle of the book being really upset, at the recognition that there’s someone as talented as he is, who has spent a decade building an innovation ecosystem, but if you ask any entrepreneur what issues they are facing, it’s exactly the same issues he was dealing with about a decade ago.”
Why you should read the book
Thembekwayo stressed the importance of execution of ideas and how it’s reflected in the book, “we have a culture of pronouncing and celebrating the announcement, rather than celebrating the delivery of the announcement.”
He also gives his perspective on who will find the book appealing and why it matters to read it if you’re an entrepreneur.
“The audience that can read the book is people who want to understand this thing about innovation and technology, everyone has got an app, and what if I want to build my own Facebook. What support is there in the province of Gauteng?”
“If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to build a business you definitely need to read the book.” He says.
In Nuts & Bolts, you’ll gain unique perspectives of the challenges faced by leaders overseeing a turnaround in any organisation and the thought processes behind innovation.
