8 Nov 2025
Five takeaways from the Cape Town Global Symposium
Courage, patient capital and the power of saying no: what 150 members and guests learned in Cape Town.
Almost 150 members and guests met in Cape Town for four days of programme. Here is what stayed with us.
1. Patient capital changes everything
Founders who raised from investors with longer horizons grew more slowly at first, and more steadily after.
2. Say no more often
Several speakers credited their growth to the customers and deals they turned down.
3. Your network is your board
Informal advisers from the network helped many members through their hardest decisions.
4. Local first, then global
The strongest export businesses we visited had first won their home market.
5. Bring someone next time
Guests became members, and members became co-investors.