Promoting youth development through business expertise

YOUNG people have the opportunity to be motivated by the Step Up 2 a Start Up programme, which was officially launched on Thursday night.

The programme celebrates youth entrepreneurship.

Primestars Marketing, along with Minister of Small Business Development Lindiwe Zulu, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and international businessman and author Robert Kiyosaki, launched the fourth annual youth entrepreneurship project.

Matric pupil and winner of the Step Up 2 a Start Up programme in 2014, Sipho Mlambo, 17, said the experience of the youth entrepreneurship programme had been great, and the interaction with various companies had been an amazing experience.

“I got to learn new information and I overcame different challenges,” said Sipho.

The young entrepreneur recently wrote a book called Don’t Seek Motivation, Be the Motivation.

“I wrote a book because I was motivated by what I was experiencing in life. I realised that sometimes we fail in life not because we allow things to put us down but because we don’t allow ourselves to go out there and live our dreams,” he said.

Sipho told The Star that he didn’t have a privileged background as he was raised by a single parent, Bawinile Mlambo, who has supported him through his journey of incubating entrepreneurial ideas.

The highly motivated teen said he was inspired by entrepreneurs such as Gareth Cliff.

Primestars Marketing director Martin Sweet said: “Sustainable economic development is only possible through small business development and new ventures creation, and not enough young people are entering the entrepreneurial space, which will be the lifeblood of job creation moving forward.

“We have it in our hands to build the greatest and most prosperous society in history, but this is only achievable if we as leaders enable the acceleration of local start-ups.”

Zulu, addressing more than 300 guests, underlined that the Department of Small Business was looking at a partnership with the Department of Basic Education to get involved with enlightening learners about small business development.

“I believe that in order for our young people to understand the economy of South Africa, we shouldn’t have to wait for them to be chief executives of companies,” she said.

The launch of Step Up 2 a Start Up had more than 300 guests in attendance, including government officials, and sponsors Standard Bank, Sasol, the MTN SA Foundation and Uber.

The programme aims to instil a culture and mindset of entrepreneurship and wealth creation in the youth of South Africa, according to Sweet.

@Zwane_2li2ls

Not enough young people entering entrepreneurial space