NEWSROOM
The Māori economy is thriving. Māori entrepreneurship is still waiting for its moment
A new report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) paints a powerful picture of a Māori economy that is increasingly diverse, values-driven, and entrepreneurial.
Released in March 2025, Te Ōhanga Māori 2023 is the most detailed snapshot of Māori economic activity across Aotearoa to date. It shows a sector expanding well beyond its traditional base in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Professional services, construction, and technical industries are now emerging as significant contributors, alongside a surge in Māori entrepreneurship.
The Māori economy contributed $32 billion to Aotearoa’s GDP in 2023, up from $17 billion in 2018 – a jump from 6.5 percent of GDP to nearly 9 percent in just five years. This growth is underpinned by an asset base which rose from $69 billion to $126 billion, during the same period – a growth of 83 percent.
These assets are held across three key segments: $66 billion in Māori businesses and employers, $41 billion in Māori collectives such as trusts and incorporations, and $19 billion by self-employed Māori.
The report provides new insight into Māori-owned private businesses—an area that has historically been difficult to measure. Thanks to a refined methodology led by Te Puni Kōkiri and Stats NZ, we now know there are close to 24,000 Māori-owned businesses operating across the country, up from about 19,200 in 2018.
What does Māori entrepreneurship look like?
Between 2018 and 2023, the number of self-employed Māori grew by 49 percent, while Māori employers increased by 31 percent. The top sectors are identified as construction, agriculture and forestry, and professional and technical services. With Auckland as New Zealand’s largest city, it is no surprise that Tāmaki Makaurau leads the country in Māori business numbers, with over 5,300 Māori-owned businesses.
Despite this strong growth, Māori remain underrepresented in entrepreneurial roles relative to the general population.
Māori values being embedded into business practices are one of the most compelling insights from MBIE’s report. Concepts like tauutuutu (reciprocity) and manahau (impactful value creation that has a broader value than just financial) are being used to build businesses that reflect and uplift Māori identity and community wellbeing.
Business School Professor Jason Mika says “Māori business models challenge us to think beyond profit. They ask: how does this benefit whānau, hapū, iwi – not just today, but for generations? That’s the kind of thinking our economy needs more of. We need to train Māori graduates not just to manage assets, but to lead with tikanga Māori and shape a more equitable, values-based future.”
How Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, is supporting Māori entrepreneurship
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director Darsel Keane says that the University of Auckland is in a unique position to support Māori entrepreneurship. “Economists agree that in order for New Zealand’s economy to thrive, it needs to diversify. Māori need to be represented amongst these new industries to narrow inequities and increase prosperity.”
MBIE’s report shows that in 2023, 46 percent of Māori workers were in high-skilled jobs, up from 37 percent in 2018. For the first time since 2006, more Māori are in high-skilled roles than low-skilled ones. This shift is particularly notable as the younger generation enters the workforce with new expectations and aspirations, contributing to a broader redefinition of what the Māori economy looks like.
CIE’s Māori connections coordinator Maru Maxwell says “Universities are important contributors to a knowledge-based economy and fostering entrepreneurial talent. At CIE, we’ve previously spotlighted Māori innovators and entrepreneurs through our annual Whiua ki te Ao innovation and entrepreneurship seminar. We’ve expanded our mahi to include a monthly Innovation Wānanga event, and an annual Māori entrepreneurial ecosystem study tour. We want to inspire our rangatahi about what is possible in their own career journeys by showcasing what is already happening across Aotearoa. This includes urban and rural communities, showcasing everything from AgriTech to digital innovation. Once our Māori tauira (students) are inspired and intrigued, we have a wide range of professional development opportunities to tap into. We need more entrepreneurs and innovative talent, and we know from speaking to our Māori communities that it’s important to showcase what entrepreneurship looks like from a Māori context.”
Beyond inspiration and talent support, the University has in place a comprehensive ecosystem to support Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems). Much of this work is led by UniServices, the University’s not-for-profit commercialisation company that transforms research into global impact starting in Aotearoa New Zealand. They developed a Māori intellectual property policy in consultation with Māori experts to reflect its responsibilities for indigenous intellectual property, including upholding Māori data sovereignty.
The University’s inventors’ fund recently doubled to $40 million, with some of the financial support earmarked to support the development of Te Ao Māori entrepreneurship and commercialisation and support for Māori inventors, students and mātauranga Māori. UniServices also developed a Māori Leadership Development Programme, which includes an internship programme to propel rangatahi graduates into the global investment sector.
UniServices Head of Investment Programmes Tori McNoe says “Te Māori Investment Roopū was established to empower kaimahi and tauira Māori in Aotearoa’s publicly funded research, education, wānanga and tertiary institutes. By connecting Māori researchers, students and innovators with a support network and guidance, the Roopū facilitates the transformation of Māori-led ideas into successful commercial ventures.”
The work being done at the University of Auckland backs up MBIE’s report, which shows that the Māori economy is more than a set of economic indicators. It offers a clear signal that Māori entrepreneurship is growing not just in scale, but in depth. It also highlights the importance of enabling environments that can continue to support Māori business success in uniquely Māori ways.
See the Te Ōhanga Māori dashboard
CIE’s Whiua ki te Ao event, which celebrates Māori innovation and entrepreneurship
CIE’s Whiua ki te Ao event, which celebrates Māori innovation and entrepreneurship
A new report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) paints a powerful picture of a Māori economy that is increasingly diverse, values-driven, and entrepreneurial.
Released in March 2025, Te Ōhanga Māori 2023 is the most detailed snapshot of Māori economic activity across Aotearoa to date. It shows a sector expanding well beyond its traditional base in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Professional services, construction, and technical industries are now emerging as significant contributors, alongside a surge in Māori entrepreneurship.
The Māori economy contributed $32 billion to Aotearoa’s GDP in 2023, up from $17 billion in 2018 – a jump from 6.5 percent of GDP to nearly 9 percent in just five years. This growth is underpinned by an asset base which rose from $69 billion to $126 billion, during the same period – a growth of 83 percent.
These assets are held across three key segments: $66 billion in Māori businesses and employers, $41 billion in Māori collectives such as trusts and incorporations, and $19 billion by self-employed Māori.
The report provides new insight into Māori-owned private businesses—an area that has historically been difficult to measure. Thanks to a refined methodology led by Te Puni Kōkiri and Stats NZ, we now know there are close to 24,000 Māori-owned businesses operating across the country, up from about 19,200 in 2018.
What does Māori entrepreneurship look like?
Between 2018 and 2023, the number of self-employed Māori grew by 49 percent, while Māori employers increased by 31 percent. The top sectors are identified as construction, agriculture and forestry, and professional and technical services. With Auckland as New Zealand’s largest city, it is no surprise that Tāmaki Makaurau leads the country in Māori business numbers, with over 5,300 Māori-owned businesses.
Despite this strong growth, Māori remain underrepresented in entrepreneurial roles relative to the general population.
Māori values being embedded into business practices are one of the most compelling insights from MBIE’s report. Concepts like tauutuutu (reciprocity) and manahau (impactful value creation that has a broader value than just financial) are being used to build businesses that reflect and uplift Māori identity and community wellbeing.
Business School Professor Jason Mika says “Māori business models challenge us to think beyond profit. They ask: how does this benefit whānau, hapū, iwi – not just today, but for generations? That’s the kind of thinking our economy needs more of. We need to train Māori graduates not just to manage assets, but to lead with tikanga Māori and shape a more equitable, values-based future.”
How Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, is supporting Māori entrepreneurship
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director Darsel Keane says that the University of Auckland is in a unique position to support Māori entrepreneurship. “Economists agree that in order for New Zealand’s economy to thrive, it needs to diversify. Māori need to be represented amongst these new industries to narrow inequities and increase prosperity.”
MBIE’s report shows that in 2023, 46 percent of Māori workers were in high-skilled jobs, up from 37 percent in 2018. For the first time since 2006, more Māori are in high-skilled roles than low-skilled ones. This shift is particularly notable as the younger generation enters the workforce with new expectations and aspirations, contributing to a broader redefinition of what the Māori economy looks like.
CIE’s Māori connections coordinator Maru Maxwell says “Universities are important contributors to a knowledge-based economy and fostering entrepreneurial talent. At CIE, we’ve previously spotlighted Māori innovators and entrepreneurs through our annual Whiua ki te Ao innovation and entrepreneurship seminar. We’ve expanded our mahi to include a monthly Innovation Wānanga event, and an annual Māori entrepreneurial ecosystem study tour. We want to inspire our rangatahi about what is possible in their own career journeys by showcasing what is already happening across Aotearoa. This includes urban and rural communities, showcasing everything from AgriTech to digital innovation. Once our Māori tauira (students) are inspired and intrigued, we have a wide range of professional development opportunities to tap into. We need more entrepreneurs and innovative talent, and we know from speaking to our Māori communities that it’s important to showcase what entrepreneurship looks like from a Māori context.”
Beyond inspiration and talent support, the University has in place a comprehensive ecosystem to support Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems). Much of this work is led by UniServices, the University’s not-for-profit commercialisation company that transforms research into global impact starting in Aotearoa New Zealand. They developed a Māori intellectual property policy in consultation with Māori experts to reflect its responsibilities for indigenous intellectual property, including upholding Māori data sovereignty.
The University’s inventors’ fund recently doubled to $40 million, with some of the financial support earmarked to support the development of Te Ao Māori entrepreneurship and commercialisation and support for Māori inventors, students and mātauranga Māori. UniServices also developed a Māori Leadership Development Programme, which includes an internship programme to propel rangatahi graduates into the global investment sector.
UniServices Head of Investment Programmes Tori McNoe says “Te Māori Investment Roopū was established to empower kaimahi and tauira Māori in Aotearoa’s publicly funded research, education, wānanga and tertiary institutes. By connecting Māori researchers, students and innovators with a support network and guidance, the Roopū facilitates the transformation of Māori-led ideas into successful commercial ventures.”
The work being done at the University of Auckland backs up MBIE’s report, which shows that the Māori economy is more than a set of economic indicators. It offers a clear signal that Māori entrepreneurship is growing not just in scale, but in depth. It also highlights the importance of enabling environments that can continue to support Māori business success in uniquely Māori ways.
See the Te Ōhanga Māori dashboard
EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND
