PROPELLA Business Incubator and the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance collaboration aimed at strengthening the Eastern Cape’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Across South Africa, communities are weaving together networks of innovation, collaboration, and opportunity. Through the Investing in Young Businesses in Africa, Supporting Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development (IYBA SEED) initiative, Ecosystem Weavers, representatives from enterprise support organisations and business networks, are working to strengthen the foundations that help small businesses grow.
The signing ceremony hosted in East London on 20 February marks a significant milestone under IYBA-SEED Weaving Initiative for the Eastern Cape, which focuses on building stronger, more inclusive environments that enable small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow and scale.
The partnership establishes ECSECC as the provincial convener of the Ecosystem Weaving Initiative, a coordinated approach designed to address longstanding fragmentation within the regional innovation ecosystem.
Building strong, inclusive ecosystems
While the Eastern Cape possesses strong innovation potential, ecosystem actors including incubators, funders, academia, government institutions, and private sector partners have historically operated in silos. This has limited collaboration, reduced access to markets and finance, and constrained growth opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly women- and youth-led enterprises.
Through the IYBA-SEED Initiative, ecosystem weaving introduces an intentional process of mapping, mobilising, and connecting ecosystem stakeholders to improve coordination and unlock collective impact.
“Over the past decade, Propella has worked to support entrepreneurs and innovators across multiple sectors. This partnership represents the next evolution of our work — strengthening not only individual enterprises, but the ecosystem that enables them to succeed,” said Masakhane Mlamla, head of Propella.
“ECSECC’s role as convener is critical in bringing together diverse stakeholders to align efforts, strengthen collaboration, and drive inclusive economic development across the province,” Mlamla added.
Luvuyo Mosana, chief executive officer of ECSECC said, “Today marks an important step as we move this work forward in partnership with Propella into the solutions design phase. Research undertaken across the province has highlighted the urgent need to weave and better integrate our entrepreneurship ecosystem, particularly in support of young entrepreneurs. This partnership allows us to translate research insights into coordinated action.”
During his address, Mosane continued and added, “We believe we are turning a critical corner in the development of small and medium enterprises, both within the Eastern Cape and nationally. Our partnership with Propella represents a shared commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people and strengthening pathways for sustainable enterprise growth.”
Reflecting on ecosystem weaving and addressing fragmentation, lead researcher Atlehang Nkotha said: “Today is about taking ownership of the future of the Eastern Cape. We are operating in an era defined by technology and digitalisation, and strengthening our innovation ecosystem ensures that entrepreneurs and communities are prepared to participate meaningfully in the evolving digital economy.”
About IYBA SEED
IYBA-SEED Project strengthens entrepreneurial ecosystems and improves access to business development services for early-stage businesses led by women and youth.
The programme contributes to building resilient economies and creating decent jobs for young people and women by improving access to development services for businesses in the pre-seed phase.
IYBA-SEED is funded by the European Union and the French, German, and Slovak governments, and implemented by five agencies: Expertise France, Enabel (Belgium), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia), and SNV (Netherlands).
The initiative operates in Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Togo, with activities in South Africa focusing on five provinces: Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga.
About Propella Business Incubator
Propella is an innovation and business incubation hub supporting technology, climate-tech, and advanced manufacturing enterprises in the Eastern Cape. Propella provides incubation and acceleration support, market access opportunities, capacity development, and ecosystem-building initiatives aimed at enabling innovation-driven economic growth.
About the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC)
The Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC) is a multi-stakeholder advisory body that facilitates dialogue, research, and coordination between government, business, labour, academia, and civil society to advance inclusive socio-economic development in the Eastern Cape.
ECSECC is a provincial entity located within the Office of the Premier, mandated to support long-term provincial planning and development. ECSECC serves as a research and information hub for the province, undertaking applied research that informs evidence-based policy development, strategic planning, and socio-economic decision-making in the Eastern Cape.
