Top ten shortlist for The Venture

On 26 January 2017 at 6.30pm, the Mzansi Magic will screen how the top five were chosen and announce the winner, who will win R350,000 and the chance to represent South Africa in the international version of the Venture 3, taking place in the US.

Top ten

1. Caley van der Kolk – Artisans in Africa - Describing her business as an “African Etsy”, Caley created a simple digital platform where high-revenue artisans can partner with artisans in rural communities and sell their authentic work internationally. The aim of the partnership is to empower communities, giving them the opportunity to keep 60% of the profits.

2. Menzi Mahlobo – Ocean in Motion - Once funded, the sustainable Ocean in Motion will offer systems that simulate ocean conditions anywhere, thus seafood can be bred and sourced inland. Through this solution, the business will tackle food security, unemployment and rising food costs.

3. Mathieu Coquillon – Mama Money - Designed for immigrants from other African countries working in South Africa, the app’s catch phrase is “Send More Money Home”, and allows the users to send money back home for food, education, medicine and other basic needs at greatly reduced rates.

4. Lara Mare van Niekerk – Boma Brands cc trading as Rush Bar - Rush Bars are marketed to athletes and those who want to consume ‘natural’ products more often. Striving to uplift South Africa’s communities, Rush Bar sources its supplies locally and teaches impoverished communities to grow fruit trees that could form part of Rush Bar’s value chain.

5. Luvuyo Rani – Silulo Ulutho Technologies - Luvuyo’s business is about making communication and teaching technology accessible in emerging and rural communities throughout the Eastern and Western Cape, as well as providing employment opportunities.

6. James Their – I-drop Water - This environmentally friendly water purification system gives vulnerable communities access to safe, affordable water. With pilots already in three countries, the system can purify almost all harmful bacteria, and allows retailers to earn income for every unit operated from their outlets.

7. Risna Opperman - Roses For U - Through Roses For U, Risna will incubate a number of small farms in the Free State that will distil highly sought-after rose essential oil. Hopefully, the farms will go on to supply a number of industries throughout South Africa and maybe even the world.

8. Sizwe Nzima – Iyeza Health - Already making a difference, Iyeza Health is a bicycle-based courier company that delivers essential medications and HIV-testing kits to residents - many of them constrained by age, disability, poverty or time - of Cape Town’s less fortunate areas.

9. Matt Wainwright – Standard Microgrid - Standard Microgrid is a solar-powered energy system that distributes energy without access to electricity. Each utility can service 150 homes, and users only have to pay a flat fee for a month’s usage, enabling them to use the funds for further development.

10. Ross Kramm – Mama Mimi’s - Ross is the founder of Mama Mimi’s, a bakery franchise that uplifts small rural communities by baking and supplying bread directly where it is consumed. This model creates entrepreneurs who run the micro bakeries, lowers the price of bread as delivery costs are removed, and creates employment.

Judges ready

These aspiring social entrepreneurs have come far on their personal journeys; however their ‘ventures’ have only just begun. The panel of judges and celebrities includes former CEO of multi-billion rand diversified African investment holding company Shanduka and current executive chairperson of Sigma Capital Phuti Mahanyele; IT influencer best known as the founder of fintech company Thumbzup Innovation, Stafford Masie; and entrepreneur and content architect Kojo Baffoe.

Shelley Reeves, marketing manager Scotch Whiskies at Chivas Regal, asserts that the essence of Chivas Regal’s global campaign ‘Win the Right Way’ aligns the values of the brand with the human value of aspiring to use enterprise as a force for good through social entrepreneurship. This innovative form of business creates renewed focus on key aspects of social development, such as long-term sustainability and efficiency, by blending traditional business objectives with the South African philosophy of Ubuntu.

“Over the last two years, we have shown our belief in and commitment to this philosophy by awarding US $2m to start-ups globally that ‘do well by doing good’, because we believe purpose and profit can coexist,” she concludes.