New Zealand’s future prosperity is increasingly being shaped by the strength and innovation of the Māori workforce and business community. The 2023 census revealed that nearly one million New Zealanders now identify as Māori, around 19.6 per cent of the population, a demographic that continues to grow at nearly twice the national rate.
Nearly 30 per cent of New Zealanders under 25 are Māori, emphasising the importance of this rising generation to the country’s economic direction.
According to Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council (WDC), Māori contribute an estimated $70 billion to GDP, with around 130,000 Māori employed in the Services sector and 7,000 Māori-owned businesses generating more than $14 billion. As the Council notes, “When the Māori economy performs at a high level, so does New Zealand.”
Ringa Hora’s Tuia 2024 event, themed “Million Māori: Mobilising for our Mokopuna”, highlighted Māori business leaders who are redefining enterprise through cultural values and innovation.
Speakers such as Tahana Tippett-Tapsell, Anton Matthews, and James Whetu shared examples of success ranging from iwi-led collective business models in Ngāruawāhia’s Durham Precinct to the way Hustle Group has embedded Te Ao Māori values and te reo Māori in its operations.
Māori businesses are combining authenticity with opportunity by integrating mātāpono (principles) and uara (values) into their operations.
The Te Manu Arataki Leadership Project, launched by Ringa Hora, draws from traditional Māori approaches to leadership and governance.
The programme reinforces “the value of cultural sensitivity, the importance of collective and community-based leadership models,” and helps develop qualifications that reflect these lessons for future leaders.