Helping businesses in isiZulu
FIRST OF ITS KIND: BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE PRESENTED IN MOTHER TONGUE OF 23% IN SA
The response to the existing English version has been very positive.
With South Africa’s unemployment rate currently sitting at a 13-year high of 27.7%, many South Africans are turning to entrepreneurship to earn an income. However, most small South African businesses fail within their first year, as these entrepreneurs do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to run a successful business.
In addition, any resources that could improve their knowledge are usually not in their mother tongue, which makes it even more difficult to develop their skills.
It is for these reasons that Nokwazi Mzobe, founder of Matoyana Business Solutions and author of The Small Business Handbook advocated for her book to be translated into isiZulu. The translation was sponsored by Procter & Gamble. “Research shows that the number one barrier to comprehension for the majority of black South Africans is being taught in English. Thus, the isiZulu version of my book, Umhlahlandlela Wamabhizinisi Amancane, has come into being, with the aim of making knowledge more accessible to isiZulu speakers. IsiZulu is the mother tongue of over 22.7% of South Africans. There is a great need for business concepts to be packaged in African languages and this translation is the first of its kind,” explains Mzobe.
‘The Small Business Handbook’ has all the basic information about launching and running a sustainable business. Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs can refer to the book for ideas on how to address issues in business, such as creating an ethical business environment, devising a marketing plan, and understanding different revenue strategies.
Mzobe’s primary partner in the project is Procter and Gamble, through their Leadership Academy. The P&G Leadership Academy is a training programme for entrepreneurs developed in partnership with Matoyana Business Solutions, and delivered to small businesses leaders and entrepreneurship experts. The content of this training programme was compiled and refined into The Small Business Handbook, which we believe is a comprehensive resource for any entrepreneur.
Now that it has been translated into isiZulu, we will be able to help even more small businesses thrive,” notes Khululiwe Mabaso, CSI Associate Director for SubSaharan Africa at P&G.
Mzobe, an entrepreneur herself, combined the insights she gained from starting her own business, as well as mentoring hundreds of business owners who’ve struggled to find relevant information. The response to the English version, which was released earlier this year, has been very positive.
Another partner for the launch of this book is Ethekwini Municipal Libraries.
“Ethekwini Municipal Libraries is pleased to be associated with The Small Business Handbook, especially as it is now available in an indigenous language. The book will be a great addition to the ‘business corners’ in our libraries. These ‘business corners’ address our country’s dire need for local economic development, by making business-related information and knowledge resources available for all citizens of eThekwini so that they can either start or develop their businesses,” concludes Thobela Ngidi, Manager: Libraries & Heritage, eThekwini Municipal Libraries.
Umhlahlandlela Wamabhizinisi Amancane will be launched in December at the Natural Science Museum Hall, 151 KE Masinga Road (entrance Wyatt Road) in Durban.
It will include a panel discussion on the importance of having business knowledge available in indigenous languages.
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