Telkom launches entrepreneurship programme

The foundation partnered with Continuing Education at the University of Pretoria to implement the entrepreneurship training programme for 350 youth and women delegates.

Candidates for the programme have been selected from databases of various government agencies and other organisations working with entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs.

The programme will kick off in Gauteng, Free State and the Northern Cape, while it is envisaged that similar initiatives will occur in other provinces.

The training programme is aimed at different levels with varying criteria, with funding set to accommodate 100 unemployed youth graduates in Gauteng to receive entrepreneurship development training and mentorship.

The programme will also fund 100 unemployed youth with no businesses in the Northern Cape to receive business start-up training and mentorship. A further 100 small business owners in the Free State will receive basic entrepreneurship training and mentorship.

Furthermore, 50 businesswomen in Gauteng will be trained and mentored within the women entrepreneurship development programme.

The training duration for the different programmes ranges from five to 10 days, and mentorship, which is support given to candidates after training, ranges from 30-50 days.

Head of the Telkom Foundation Sarah Mthintso said fighting unemployment was the broad aim the foundation adopted when supporting small business development initiatives.

"Entrepreneurship is an important vehicle towards job creation and it is for this reason that the foundation is investing in empowering entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs with the requisite skills and knowledge needed to venture into this area," she said.