Pathway for youth in the economy

to being an employer.”

With YES providing the managerial framework to assist artisanal farmers, the farm is yielding 43,200 high-quality heads of lettuce a year and has already created over 70 jobs.

Through this initiative, community members are given the necessary skills and resources to create sustainable small-scale farming operations in back gardens. Their produce then provides a secure food source to members of the community, and surplus production is sold into the community, as well as to restaurants and retailers.

Blossom Care Solutions

YES has also partnered with Blossom Care Solutions to introduce a manufacturing, sales and marketing business that is focused on producing 100% compostable and affordable menstrual hygiene products using new technology. And not only is this revolutionary product helping to save the environment, it is also creating work for 12 previously unemployed female youth from Tembisa.

At the end of the first year of production, these 12 young women will take ownership of the business via a social franchise, becoming owners of the business with the support of a Blossom team who will continue to oversee training, marketing, sourcing of raw materials and expansion programs. This facility has the further ability to scale over a period of time, to sustain a total of 30 direct jobs. YES will scale this initiative across the country.

Mish Da Chef

Mishak Masipa, of Mish Da Chef Company, was given a massive break when he won a cook-off last year to be selected to be the YES hub’s own master chef. The exposure and experience has had immeasurable benefits for Mish Da Chef, which now employs three staff and offers world class food to Tembisa at lower prices.

While the business has expanded into event catering, offers private chefs and even food and beverage consultation, it has also attracted the attention of one of the bigger players. A partnership with The Local Grill is set to see the establishment of a 50-seater, sit-down restaurant, operated by Mish Da Chef at the YES Tembisa Hub. It will include an on-site training facility for the hospitality and tourism industry and will create 16 new youth jobs on a sustainable basis.

Netcare

Netcare has contributed R5.5 million to build the next hub in Alexandra, to be opened later this year. This hub will start with two new businesses – a co-op of women and youth for upcycling Netcare’s linen, and a ceramics school and factory for the production of corporate gifts and souvenirs.

In a virtuous circle, Netcare’s used, but still high-quality linen that would ordinarily go into landfill is donated to the co-op and is then repurposed into other items, some of which – such as baby blankets – the company will then repurchase.

Netcare CEO Richard Friedland underscored the impact of such a hub on the local community in an interview on Business Day TV, saying, “We can be creating close on 300-400 jobs within the Alexandra area over a five-year period.”

Why businesses should get involved

Ismail-saville notes that YES’ experience with the Tembisa hub indicates that the average YES hub will employ 300 youth full-time and create an additional 2,400 jobs indirectly in communities through stimulating new demand for security, cleaning, infrastructure build and maintenance.

Each hub is additionally expected to grow local economies by some R120 million annually, while salaries paid to staff and new indirect jobs will generate a further R55 million in local economic spending.

“It is our vision to roll out 100 hubs across the country and for this we need funders, access to land and commercial partners to develop value chains,” states Ismail-saville. “The Hubs are built with a Lego design in mind, modules or Lego bricks include a sector, training, market access and jobs, these bricks are assembled in unique combinations to suit the market opportunities and community needs and potential. It is a scalable and customisable method to achieve our goals”.

“The hubs provide access to a large base of individual consumers and small enterprises which companies may struggle to reach alone. This is an attractive proposition for established companies, many of whom have indicated their willingness to provide ED support to invest in and fund the development of additional hubs. Other institutional organisations also see this partnership as a scalable collaboration to fulfil their own transformation mandates, YES is working with the DBSA, Transnet, several banks, Naspers, Foundations, NGOS along with companies who all see clearly the potential enterprise develop holds both strategically for their own objectives and for the country.”