Te Aka Matua: “Building Pakihi That Last"

Applications are now open for the 2025 intake of Te Aka Matua, a kaupapa Māori business development programme delivered by IndigiShare Charitable Trust to support Māori entrepreneurs in Rotorua.

The six-week programme provides participants with a combination of in-person wānanga and one-on-one mentoring, covering core business development areas such as business planning, financial literacy, and investment preparation.

The return of the programme follows the success of its inaugural cohort in 2024, which supported 16 Māori entrepreneurs ranging from early-stage founders to established business owners.

“We know there are so many of our whānau out there with incredible ideas and aspirations — they just need the right tautoko to get started,” says Maria Ngawati (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whakaue), Managing Director of IndigiShare.

“Te Aka Matua is about creating space for our people to step into business with confidence, in a way that reflects who we are as Māori.”

The programme stems from the findings of research conducted by IndigiShare in 2023¹ that identified several key barriers to success for Māori entrepreneurs. These included a lack of access to culturally relevant support, low uptake of mainstream financial services, and limited networks for mentoring and capability-building.

“Our insights confirmed what we were already seeing on the ground — that business support needs to be specifically tailored to our needs and values,” says Ngawati.

“Te Aka Matua was designed to offer a place where Māori entrepreneurs can access tools, resources, and networks that are built with them in mind.”

The insights report also highlighted the broader economic pressures facing Māori business owners, including the impact of COVID-19 recovery, with 76% of survey respondents reporting they had to pivot their operations post-pandemic, and 50% needing immediate access to capital to remain viable.

“Funding alone isn’t enough — we need to equip our people with the skills, support, and culturally grounded spaces to build pakihi that last,” says Ngawati.

“Te Aka Matua is about more than just surviving the current climate. It’s about setting our people up to thrive for generations.”

Funded by the Booster Foundation, the programme has 15 placements available in this year’s intake, with applications closing on 15 May 2025.

For more information, or to apply online, visit: https://indigishare.co.nz/education

¹IndigiShare research findings: https://indigishare.co.nz/insights/

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