ABSA and the South African Institute for Entrepreneurship hosted an award ceremony for the Grade 11 pupils who participated in the Absa Business Ideas challenge competition.
The top five did a short presentation on their business plan at the Department of Education hall in Pinetown. The objectives of the programme were to equip 4 500 pupils with entrepreneurial knowledge and skills and to expose them to role models who can help them build their self-belief and self-confidence.
The programme also assists pupils to engage in entrepreneurial activities while still at school and to equip 100 teachers with unique methods to facilitate entrepreneurship in the classroom.
Nomhle Klaas, marketing and communication officer for Absa, said the key to the entrepreneurship programme is ‘Enterprise Creation Through Innovative Ideas’.
“Pupils participating in the programme were encouraged to take part in the business ideas generation and planning challenge, which was incorporated into the programme.
“As part of the challenge, schools were to compete against one another at the district level for prizes. We believe that by participating in the challenge and the programme, pupils will get the opportunity to put their entrepreneurship knowledge and skills into practice.
“The uniqueness of the entrepreneurship programme is that it targets peri-urban and rural schools, which are often relatively deprived of resources or learning material. As pupils progress to starting their own businesses, their districts should feel the benefit.
“The cash prizes received by the schools will help assist them to start their own ventures,” said Klaas.
The winning school was Sithabile Secondary School from Inanda.
