Dr Knowledge Shumba recently joined AGCAE as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. He is particularly interested in studying entrepreneurial ecosystem conditions at a continental level, coupled with resilience strategies, and ultimately exploring why, in the same ecosystem, some innovators and entrepreneurs establish profitable ventures and others do not.
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If there’s a cornerstone to Dr Knowledge Shumba’s work, it’s that research must translate to impact.
“It’s something one of my own mentors told me some years ago,” Knowledge says. “What we write, he said, must benefit our communities. It’s stuck with me, you know. Community development is central to who I am.”
That is why Knowledge considers the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) the perfect place to continue his research and practical pursuits. He completed his undergrad, postgrad, and PhD in Business Management at the University of Venda, propelled by a curiosity in entrepreneurial ecosystems.
That curiosity grew into expertise. And that expertise led him to AGCAE.
“I had the opportunity to work alongside [AGCAE Director] Dr Phumlani Nkontwana on a book chapter,” Knowledge says. “I was blown away by what the Centre was doing. It was exciting to see how my own work aligned with AGCAE’s.”
His work has contributed to studies on how Entrepreneurship Development Programmes or EDPs help participants to acquire the skills, knowledge and competencies required to start and operate their businesses successfully. His studies show that participants who received comprehensive entrepreneurship training demonstrated a higher propensity to identify and act on entrepreneurial opportunities. This has implications for policymakers, entrepreneurs, educators and practitioners.
Knowledge will be working on examining entrepreneurial ecosystem conditions, contributing alongside the international research team behind one of the Centre’s flagship projects: the Africa Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Index (AEEI).
When it comes to establishing profitable ventures, He also stresses the importance of self-belief, right action, and good money management combined with education and ecosystem support, governance, networks, and training.
“But right now, many of those systems are fragmented,” Knowledge says. “Affordable finance is difficult to come by. Red tape means that many SMEs prefer to stay informal. Market access is uneven, and a lack of infrastructure hinders scaling and planning.”
But that’s exactly what Knowledge is interested in. Despite monumental obstacles, some entrepreneurs do manage to launch and grow sustainable businesses.
“Ultimately, that’s what inspires me,” he says. “There are, of course, the African scholars who contribute to academic excellence with local relevance, my academic mentors, Professor Shambare and Dr Ebewo. I also draw inspiration from Professor Lumumba for his passionate take on Pan-Africanism. I hold them close. But the township entrepreneurs we see every day, just trying to make a living or create employment: they’re exceptional. They truly are.”
And if he could give young entrepreneurs any advice?
It would be to stay focused and not to become distracted by lifestyle choices. Give it five years. Knuckle down. And maybe then you can enjoy the benefits.
Knowledge is one to practice his own counsel. He has his own five-year plan, too.
“I hope that I’ll be an established researcher in entrepreneurship,” he says. “A particular goal I have is to receive an NRF rating. As a young academic, if I have that, I’ll be able to do so much more. I can attract research funding and use that to contribute further to the body of knowledge. I also want to help uplift communities.”
“But what I do know is that whatever I write over the next five years must make a meaningful difference, not only through the research I produce, but also through the students I supervise and mentor.”
