Africa SMME awards

The Africagrowth Institute has announced a conference to be held in October 2008 in Cape Town that will recognize outstanding small, medium, and micro (SMME) African enterprises (Hat tip: Timbuktu Chronicles). The conference website describes what kind of businesses they're looking for:

The Africa SMME Awards are presented to businesses that strive for excellence in order to be competitive in national, regional, and international markets. These businesses are well established, in good financial shape and enjoy a reputation for quality, integrity and service. Furthermore, they act in a socially responsible manner and create a work environment in which their employees can learn and grow.

The Africagrowth Institute is looking for nominees until the end of July, so you still have time to make a submission.

If you want some inspiration before making your nomination, you can do a little background research on entrepreneurship in Africa by reading David Fick's Africa: Continent of Economic Opportunity (pictured). In this 500+ page volume, Fick tries to make clear that "[w]hile many write off Africa as the continent of despair, other enterprising individuals and organisations have recognized the huge, untapped potential of Africa and are actively pursuing business ventures across the continent."