#YouthStartCT Entrepreneurial Challenge 2022 entries now open

The #YouthStartCT 2022 entrepreneurial challenge is an accelerator programme for start-up entrepreneurs, with the main aim of encouraging entrepreneurship and contributing to skills development and innovation in Cape Town.

The city’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development department will provide training and development opportunities for start-ups at the various rounds of the competition and the winners will be given the chance to partner with the city on projects that will uplift job seekers and provide sustainable employment opportunities.

#YouthStartCT aims to provide young Cape Town entrepreneurs with an opportunity to start up or grow their businesses. The programme supports entrepreneurs in commercialising, expanding as well as monetising their businesses through their practical training and mentorship programme.

The competition is open to Cape Town residents aged between 18 and 35 and they will be given the opportunity to focus on a specific challenge and develop innovative business ideas that will benefit their community.

Candidates are required to have an existing business or a start-up idea that has the potential to create sustainable jobs. They will be offered support to help them commercialise their solutions through a dynamic training and mentorship programme, which is focused on developing both the entrepreneur and their business idea or business.

The top 100 entries will be offered after-hours training and mentoring, and weekly elimination rounds will take place in order to determine the winners. The top 10 will be offered further mentoring with the top three winners being announced at a gala event.

The application criteria asks that entrants to:

• Come up with an innovative idea for creating employment in their communities
• Make a short video explaining their idea and upload it to a public video platform e.g.YouTube. Don’t forget to include the URL in your entry form
• Complete the YouthStartCT entry form (online applications only)
• Submit their entries on the City of Cape Town’s website.

“Our young people are brimming with new business ideas to boost employment in their communities and in doing so, change lives. Their innovations have the ability to transform our communities and with #YouthStartCT they are able to turn those ideas into reality,” said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.

Interested young people are encouraged to attend the competition’s information session on Saturday, 5 March 2022 at Cape Town Civic Centre from 9am. Entries for the competition close on Sunday, 13 March 2022.