Young innovators making waves in creating employment

Tembisa youth are pooling their resources to advance their dreams of creating employment in the township.

Founding Members of Kasihustle are Vuyani Dhlamini and Bheki Hlatshwayo. They said after a long struggle of trying to find employment, they resorted to finding ways of creating jobs for themselves.

“We had our first meeting on May 2018 where we realised we all shared the same vision of being young entrepreneurs in Tembisa.

“We initially had plans of starting our own businesses separately, but collectively decided to open a cooperating company to create jobs for the youth in Tembisa.

Two weeks later, Lehae Labakgone Primary Cooperative was born and resolved to trade as Kasihustle,” said Hlatshwayo.

He said there was a need for capital to register their cooperative, and so they went house-to-house asking for old clothes so they could sell them to raise capital to register their cooperative.

“In July 2018 we managed to register our cooperative company.

“Selling clothes was not the only thing we did to fund-raise. We also went house-to-house asking parents to let their kids join us for a movie day at Ingqayizivele High School.

“We had great attendance. As a result, we then decided to take this initiative to other neighbouring primary schools.

“Children who attended our movie day were between the ages of 10-15years,” Hlatshwayo explained.

He said they are grateful to Endulweni Primary School and Nyiko Primary school for allowing them an opportunity to fund-raise in their schools through the movie day initiative.

Hlatshwayo said they also approached the Department of Social Development and met Mary Mathole who works in the department.

He said Mathole became their mentor and signed them up for training sessions and linked them with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP).

“She went through NYDA grant applications with us and we were fortunate enough to work with NYDA’s Monni Asnath who took us through their applications.

“She advised us on how to proceed from then on, and that led us to our association with GEP.

“There we worked with Kholisa Ramolotja, a female employee who helped us with the GEP application process.

“Both entities approved our grant applications on February 2019.

“Eventually, they both bought us equipment worth R45 000,” Hlatshwayo said.

Hlatshwayo said it was important to share their story with Tembisa residents. He said when they started the Kasihustle’s project many people did not think they would get any help, saying it was almost impossible to have the NYDA and GEP to help them with grants or funding.

“Our journey was not easy, but everything has been worthwhile.

“Now our vision at Kasihustle is to gather and disseminate information to the underprivileged and to help indigent communities to access funding and to participate in the economy,”Dhlamini said.

Dhlamini said Kasihustle is registered as a media and education cooperative, providing services such as branding and also involved in digital printing of cups, mugs and beer mugs.

“We print caps, T-shirts and are involved in vinyl and screen printing, producing key holders, photo frames, puzzles, tiles and clocks.

“We also do advertising, including in social media space.

“We help our clients in marketing and creating their online feeds,” Dhlamini said.

He said their goal was to create something their community would be proud of, and to motive their peers not only today but in generations to come.

Their website is www.kasihustle.co.za; Facebook page and Group: Kasihustle; Instagram : kasihustle5