Young township entrepreneurs often face challenges when it comes to financing their ideas. Four young entrepreneurs were rewarded for their tenacity and bright ideas when they stood up to pitch their ideas to the Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) during the EmpowaYouth Week in Orange Farm last week.
The contenders faced a nerve-wracking pitch session that was timed to be only three minutes, with judges listening intently to their ideas and business planning in a Dragon’s Den setting.
Four entrepreneurs, Sipho Nkosi, Naledi Ramodibe, Bonisiwe Molakeng, and Gugulethu Mdlolo each won the CCBSA Box2Boss valued at R100 000 which will help enable, empower and create opportunities for them to build a brighter future for themselves and the communities around them.
The winners were blown away that they had managed to convince the judges that they could be the next big thing in food and beverage retail.
One of the winners, Molakeng, operating Kaci Flava in Evaton North told OFN: “I’m over the world, I still can’t believe it. I have been running my business since 2017 without any funding. I urge aspiring entrepreneurs to never give up and to take advantage of opportunities that come their way.”
Lakeside Ext 1’s Mdlolo who founded Gugs Inn Place added: “I’m very happy, I don’t know what to say. I have worked very hard to get to where I am, never giving up. I believe I deserve it.”
Dumisile Le Roux, Head of EmpowaYouth, said: “It is so heartening to see the enthusiasm of the youth and how positive and driven they are about making a viable future for themselves. We are excited about these four young entrepreneurs and look forward to see what they do next.”
This was just one of the exciting sets of opportunities offered during the EmpowaYouth Week – where 20,000 unemployed youth were given the chance to learn about different industries, to find inspiration for a career that fits their skillsets and desires, and to find opportunities for jobs, learning and funding.
EmpowaYouth has been active in Gauteng, Limpopo, KZN and North West and will be activating in all provinces across the nation in the coming years.
