Presidential hopeful Tim Vieira speaks to Portuguese Community
Recently, the Portuguese Forum facilitated a meeting between Tim Vieira and members of the Portuguese Community. Tim Vieira is a Portuguese-South African entrepreneur, investor, and television personality who gained recognition for his appearance as an investor on the Portuguese version of the television show “Shark Tank”.
Tim Vieira is involved in various businesses across different sectors. He is the CEO of Bravegeneration Academy and has investments in agriculture, global education, services, IT, human resources, and cinema production. His most recent project is Brave Generation Academy, a network of hybrid educational hubs that offers a highly personalized and flexible education that guides learners towards their passions in a dynamic, collaborative classroom setting.
Discontent with various aspects of the political, economic and labour environment in Portugal, and as someone who claims to prefer to do than talk, the Johannesburg-born entrepreneur has launched a bit before the President of Portugal, in what he calls an effort to make a noticeable change. “I cannot stand by and watch what is happening in the country without doing something. We need a different mindset. I know that the President does not have executive power, but they can help implement a vision and a direction. We can do what we did 500 years ago again if we think globally so that we can be competitive and invite the industries of the future to come to Portugal without wasting time thinking of other things that will save the country. We need better wages, and we have to have a plan for that.”
One of the most significant difficulties to progress in the Portuguese economy is, according to Vieira, the bureaucracy that is in place in the country:
“Portugal is currently competing with countries like Romania and Estonia. We cannot get ahead because of taxes and bureaucracy. That is why it is crucial to make decisions to remove the obstacles and move forward quickly. It is neither difficult nor necessary to do everything at once, but it does take vision.”
In the discussion, Vieira, whose family still resides here and who, unlike many, is not pessimistic about South Africa’s prospects for the future, highlighted the importance of being committed to the country where one has chosen to reside: “If you are going to stay, then do so fullheartedly, if you are going to go back to Portugal, then go. Não fiquem com um pé aqui e outro lá. Commit, and changes will occur.”
Roberto Silva
