Iqbal Surve, founder and executive chairman of Cape Town-based black empowerment company Sekunjalo Investments Limited, took the initiative to approach The Business Place and facilitated a relationship between TBP, the Western Cape Provincial Government Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and The City of Cape Town. These two government structures together with Investec Bank and Sekunjalo formed the core founding members of The Business Place eKapa.
Setting up The Business Place in the CBD of Cape Town was a challenge since finding a central location proved no simple task. However, encouraged by service providers working in the area and their desire to co-locate, a building was identified that could bring these organisations together under one roof. In January 2004 The Business Place eKapa finally opened its doors and, in 2006, it moved into a larger building, followed by the same committed core of service providers.
Founding members Sekunjalo Investments Limited and The City of Cape Town are still key sponsors of the branch.
FinWeek, a division of Media24 Ltd, currently donates 100 copies of their financial magazine to the branch on a weekly basis. This directly contributes to increasing knowledge of the financial sector for entrepreneurs.
R Allom Attorneys and Parker Attorneys provide legal assistance to clients on an appointments basis.
The Business Place eKapa is an approved Public Benefit Organisation (PBO).