SAB KickStart finalists begin mentorship

Each business is allocated a mentor, carefully selected by SAB, after which the 15 finalists will move to the final stage of the programme, in which the top three businesses are selected during a national awards ceremony, later this year. The three businesses will be provided with additional grant funding and an extended programme of individual business mentorship.

Finalists

1. Namhla Ngubo; Harvest 4from Heaven
   
2. Obed Montwedi; Reiketlile Catering & Confectionary Services
   
3. Phemelo Mpofu; AMAMP Tooling
   
4. Mosala Mosala; Lunar Blue
   
5. Zanele Nongabe; Xhobani Beads
   
6. Ndumiso Mncwabe; Bars Equipped Mobile Bars
   
7. Luyanda Ngwenya; ICU Eyecare
   
8. Eric Zuma; Port Masters
   
9. Anda Maqanda; AM Group
   
10. Lerato Motsepe; Tiers of Delight
    
11. Juandre Jeptha; Garden & Organics
    
12. Lyle Truter; TRU PVC Products
    
13. Ricardo Hood; SIH Training
    
14. Puledi Manamela; Selaki Sports and Leisure
    
15. Sipokazi Matshikiza; Lilitha Pharmacy
    

The winners were selected from a group of 60 shortlisted entrants whose business applications were judged by an independent panel of adjudicators late last year. This followed a programme of business skills training, a key component of the SAB KickStart offering. In addition, the 2013 finalists are also provided with grant funding, which was determined based on their individual business needs.

More than 700 aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 years from across South Africa heeded the call-to-entry in mid-2012, each of them hopeful of an opportunity to reap the rewards of the programme. The programme has assisted more than 3500 youth-owned businesses since its inception in 1995.

Reengineered programme

The Class of 2012 Top 15 are the first to participate in a reengineered SAB KickStart programme, which focuses specifically on supporting the development of high impact and sustainable youth-owned businesses.

"We believe this shift in focus will make a tangible impact on the challenge of youth unemployment in South Africa. It is only through the creation of high impact business that true job creation will be achieved," says Hepsy Mkhungo, SAB head enterprise development and community partnerships.

While the programme has yielded many successes over its 18 year existence, the company believed that the changing economic and SME landscape called for a critical look at how these elements and other challenges influenced or impacted on emerging entrepreneurs and how to address these as effectively as possible to ensure sustainability. This was also critical to ensure that, as part of its enterprise development strategy, a robust ecosystem is created for these youth businesses.

"Many entrepreneurs have difficulty in taking their business from survivalist or micro-level to high impact and sustainable. This is due to a number of challenges including a lack of access to funding, training and experience; and it is this that we aim to address through the revised offering." \

The strengthened programme provides entrepreneurs with a comprehensive package of business support that goes beyond simple financial assistance. It encompasses four specific areas - business skills training and grant funding as short-term interventions; and business development support, including mentorship and access to market as a long-term intervention.

"The company believes that true commitment to enterprise development requires a holistic approach to ensure that sustainable businesses, which can help address the challenge of job creation in South Africa, are created."

Business development support

Business development support, a new element introduced to the programme, ensures that a personalised needs analysis of the business is conducted and a growth strategy devised for it. This analysis and strategy informs the grant requirements of the business and the programme of mentorship to be followed over the coming six months.

"It is necessary that the needs of each business and entrepreneur are individually examined, since they all operate within different environments and industries and require specific support for their growth path."

Importantly, an exit strategy is incorporated into the programme that is designed to leave the business in a position to prosper in its own right. "Our goals revolve around accelerated development, sustainability, financial and operational independence by giving businesses the boost they need to achieve this," concludes Mkhungo.