Standard Bank and GE have launched a healthcare accelerator in South Africa, aimed at providing technical, clinical and business acumen to people that want to improve and grow their existing practices or transition into private practice.
The accelerator is now calling for entries from healthcare professionals across the country and will provide over 100 hours of training and professional development to 40 candidates before the end of the year.
Part of GE’s Enterprise and Supplier Development Accelerator in Africa, the accelerator will utilise GE’s global capabilities and technical expertise to help small businesses. The programme will be activated by Londvolota, GE South Africa’s BBBEE partner.
“GE recognises the key role of small business in the development of emerging economies. As such, the GE Africa enterprise and supplier development structure is designed to support a more inclusive approach with the aim to link and promote entrepreneurs and SMEs by connecting them to a localized value chain,” said Ross Boyd, director of enterprise and supplier development for GE in Africa.
“Together with Standard Bank, we are proud to support capacity building by equipping healthcare providers with the tools and know-how required to run a sustainable healthcare practice and ultimately contribute towards improved productivity and a better level of patient care.”
The practical modules will be delivered weekly in a classroom environment by leading experts. Johannesburg applicants will attend classes at the GE Africa Innovation Centre in Houghton Estate, and the Standard Bank Incubator in Rosebank. Applicants from Natal and the Western Cape will participate at Standard Bank’s offices in Durban and Cape Town respectively.
Courses will include strategy and business plan development, operations management, governance and ethics, digital practices, human resources and marketing. The interactive classroom experience will be complemented by access to e-learning platforms providing further resources for HCPs to develop and learn additional skills.
“The focus on further developing the entrepreneurial skills of health care professionals, gives us the opportunity to work on developing a critical sector. Our goal in partnering with GE is to work jointly towards growing the community of healthcare professionals across the continent, by ensuring the success of the professionals that are selected on this accelerator,” said Jayshree Naidoo, head of the Standard Bank Incubator.
