Ekurhuleni West TVET College’s aspiring entrepreneurs were dared to break the chains of the norms set out within the business fraternity.
This was the guidance offered by the keynote speaker Phaswane Motshana at the third annual CEO Business Plan Competition Awards held in Germiston last Friday.
Phaswane is a self-made millionaire from Ga-Mabintane in Limpopo who trades in car rentals amongst other business ventures.
The speaker dismissed the notion that entrepreneurs don’t sleep while acknowledging the field is about exploring opportunities and believing in one’s own ideas.
He said most businesses do not fail mainly because the idea was not right, but usually because the timing was not right.
One of the norms he discouraged was the trend of quitting businesses due to a lack of funding and the non-flexibility displayed by most budding entrepreneurs.
Tumelo Nthabiseng Ngoepe of Tumelo Ratala (Pty) Ltd marched off with the coveted R50 000 seed capital as the overall winner of the 2017 edition of the competition.
Her company is in the business of manufacturing concrete paving bricks.
She is based at the Boksburg campus.
For the very first time in the competition a partnership business emerged as a winner.
Nompumelelo Manyoni and Katleho Phiri’s Corporate Events Company was awarded the first runner-up spot.
The duo (based at the Germiston campus) impressed guests in their green and black corporate attire when they ascended to collect their trophy.
The Nedbank Foundation was the sponsor of the competition.
Lindiwe Temba from the foundation accentuated that their corporation believes in the development of SMMEs to such an extent that 17 per cent of the procurement spent in the 2016 financial year was with small businesses.
She said their sponsorship of the concept of entrepreneurship is in line with the National Development Plan which seeks to transform the country’s economic profile through extending support to SMMEs as they contribute close to 50 per cent of South Africa’s total GDP and they are responsible for approximately 60 per cent of the current labour force.
“What I’m ultimately getting at with all of this is that the young people who are here today as finalists in this business plan competition are not merely here to compete for cash prizes.
“They are here because they are the entrepreneurs, business owners and, in all probability, employers of the future – who are essential to the recovery of the South African economy and have a vital role in its ability to create the employment opportunities our young people so desperately need,” Lindiwe said.
The college principal and CEO Hellen Ntlatleng recognised all participants as winners for their enthusiasm displayed throughout the process.
ALSO READ:
Local college honours its top students
EWC students showcase their skills to the world
She stressed that the college is making inroads towards the surrounding communities through the Centre for Entrepreneurship and have also seen how the CEO Business Plan Competition has unleashed underlying talents within the students.
While showing gratitude to the sponsor of the competition, Nedbank, the principal, reiterated that government and its institutions alone cannot create business and jobs opportunities for graduates.
“As a TVET college our mandate is described by poverty, unemployment and inequality.
“Our function is to produce a skilled workforce for the country and if possible to flood the country with artisans.
“We are proud of the progress made over the years both in quality and quantity.
“It has now become imperative that we can no longer train job-seekers but job-creators,” Hellen said.
The principal also used the opportunity to announce a newly built R11-million Enterprise Hub situated at the Kathorus campus in Katlehong.
The hub will incubate budding entrepreneurs trading in various fields.
The competition was crafted to promote entrepreneurship among students and to also assist in fostering student’s innovative and bankable ideas.
One of the 2016 finalists, Linathi Nkani has already scored a contract with Nedbank and was also entrusted by the Centre for Entrepreneurship to render video production services during this year’s awards ceremony.
Category winners, excluding the overall winner, walked away with a share of R100 000.
Kempton campus retained the award for an Entrepreneurial Campus from the second edition of the competition.
The results were as follows:
• Overall winner: Nthabiseng Ngoepe.
• First runner-up: Nompumelelo Manyoni and Katleho Phiri.
• Second runner-up: Thamsanqa Tabetlaa.
• Third runner-up: Lobohang Mphela.
• Fourth runner-up: Christabell Mukonowatsauka.
• Best oral presentation: Thabang Koki.
• Best written business plan: Teboho Tsotetsi.
• Best innovative concept: Mpho Kekana.
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za.
Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:
Or add the GCN on WhatsApp 079 406 1181 or BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137) today, to get all the latest news.
Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers Bedfordview Edenvale News, Alberton Record and Kempton Express.
