Every year, Manitoba welcomes thousands of newcomers from across Africa and the Caribbean. Many come through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, family sponsorship, or refugee resettlement. They arrive with professional experience, entrepreneurial skills, and ambitions for a better life — but the transition to Canada’s business environment presents formidable challenges. Different regulatory systems, unfamiliar banking and taxation structures, language barriers, and the absence of established professional networks all create friction.
CBEE Prairies Manitoba’s Newcomer Business Integration program was built to address these specific challenges. The 8-week workshop series, offered quarterly in Winnipeg and with select sessions in Brandon, walks newcomers through the essentials: Canadian business structures, registration and licensing in Manitoba, banking and taxation, and strategies for building professional networks from scratch. Critically, the program also provides cultural orientation — helping newcomers understand Canadian business communication norms, networking practices, and the unwritten rules that often determine business success.
Language support is a key feature. Through partnerships with community organizations, the program offers support in French, Swahili, Amharic, and Somali. Participants are also connected with established Black business owners who serve as mentors, and with settlement agencies that provide wraparound support for housing, employment, and family needs. “Starting over is never easy,” reflects one program participant. “But this program reminded me that I’m not starting from zero — I’m starting from experience.” The program is free for all eligible newcomers. Registration is open year-round at manitoba@cbeeprairies.org.