Be a boss in the making
THE ENTREPRENEUR’S JOURNEY: YOUNG ONES MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE
Innovators’ plan key to help youth unemployment.
Against the backdrop of devastating youth unemployment, overwhelming poverty and lack of purpose, a synergistic collaboration of Durban-based innovators is actively working to support emerging micro entrepreneurs in creating and growing their own small businesses.
The civic unrest and its aftermath in KwaZulu-Natal over the past few weeks has once again shone the spotlight on the ramifications of the enormous frustrations, impatience, challenges and rage which many of SA’s young people are feeling.
Long-term solutions are complex, expensive and difficult to implement – especially in such a politically problematic society.
Against this backdrop, suggested ways to address youth employment should be applauded and supported.
City Story (an inclusive project-based urban renewal collective) with partners including 20/20 Vision Foundation, Domino Business and Faith at Work, have created The Entrepreneur’s Journey, an educational video series, geared to help and support “grassroots” businesspeople by giving basic, helpful tips and principles.
Written by Leah Sloman, the story follows two enterprising youngsters, Andile (Zamokuhle Jali, aka TJ) and Sitandiswe (Phanaso Myeza) and their quest to start and grow their own small business.
They are mentored by an experienced businessman, played by Terence Ronald, the founder of Value Added Lifestyle Training.
In each episode, Ronald helps them navigate a host of often-encountered pitfalls.
When watching the videos for the first time, Winston Owen of the DigiCentral Group realised that there were great potential synergies in the making.
Owen forwarded the first two instalments to Samkelo Ntetha, owner of Success TV, suggesting he consider flighting the videos on the channel.
Success TV is a Durban-based, black youth-owned company.
Ntetha immediately gave Owen the go-ahead to reach out to City Story and discuss a collaboration.
Wanting the videos to be watched by as wide an audience as possible, City Story agreed the videos needed a large and relevant audience.
Enter SpesRes. With roughly 20 000 students on their books studying new venture creation, SpesRes is arguably one of the largest entrepreneurial educational specialist companies in South Africa.
Because the SpesRes programme is delivered digitally, it was a simple task to link the video from the SpesRes learning platform – a free online video-on-demand channel – to Success TV.
Owen believes the youth unemployment crisis is a “ticking time bomb” so there is a sense of urgency to this campaign.
“These past few weeks have reminded us that youth unemployment can no longer be ignored. It is even more of a concern if those unemployed youths are tertiary institution graduates.”
Ntetha added: “This project has been close to my heart. As a young black entrepreneur myself, it has been amazing to be part of this process and I truly believe the City Story content will help to fast track the businesses of pro-active young businesspeople out there.”
Episodes of The Entrepreneur’s Journey are being uploaded every Tuesday and Thursday on www.successtv.co.za.
– news@citizen.co.za