A Nasser Fellow leads discussions at the 8th Innovation Festival in Durban, South Africa
A graduate of the Nasser International Leadership Fellowship, activist Pearl Maphumulo, led strategic discussions on practical solutions to shape the innovative landscape of the future during the 8th Innovation Festival in Durban, South Africa, held at the Hilton Garden Inn on November 15th. The festival, a leading innovation gathering in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province, brought together thought leaders, social activists, policymakers, public sector leaders, and entrepreneurs to explore and promote innovation in the region.
This year's festival theme, "Innovation Tomorrow, Unlocked Today," was also the topic of the opening panel discussion led by Pearl Maphumulo, a member of the Nasser Youth Movement in South Africa and an entrepreneur with a diverse background in government and development organization assignments focused on entrepreneurship, youth, and sustainable job creation.
In another context, Pearl Maphumulo was invited to participate as a thought leader in another panel titled "Establishing the Region as a Premier Innovation Hub." This panel included experts from eThekwini Municipality and the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs, who detailed discussions on designing, developing, and implementing a framework conducive to supporting and sustaining the local innovation ecosystem.
Councillor Philisiwe Ndlovu, representing the local government in South Africa, emphasized the importance of innovation in shaping the municipality's future and the city's commitment to supporting the innovation ecosystem. She highlighted the collaborative efforts needed to achieve this and the government's determination to take practical steps and necessary strategies to raise awareness of future innovation concepts and our environmental system contexts.
It's worth noting that the Nasser Fellowship for International Leadership was launched in June 2019, implemented by the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It serves as one of the executive mechanisms for activating Egypt Vision 2030, the ten principles of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization, Africa Agenda 2063, Sustainable Development Goals 2030, South-South Cooperation, and the African Union Roadmap on Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth and the African Youth Charter.
