A plan to tackle poverty
An aspiring entrepreneur and student from Greenhills says young people need to change how they view the world.
Onkagile Lefakane of Greenhills believes he has a plan in place that will help him achieve his goal of eradicating unemployment.
The 21-year-old student is studying towards his BEngTech, Civil Engineering at the University of Johannesburg and said he is determined to teach the youth the art of entrepreneurship.
“The most important thing I want to do is black empowerment. Not only do I want it to be a success, I actually want to make sure that these youngsters are on top of their game in whatever industry they are,” Onkagile said.
He added that if his peers can adopt the same principles as he has by always making sure that they invest in their community, unemployment would be resolved.
However, changing the mindsets of people is key, and by giving people the right information can have a huge impact on the socioeconomic status of the country.
“Self-employment is the answer, because you do not depend on others to advance. When you are self-sufficient, you can create opportunities for others who will in turn do the same for others.”
He added that it is simply because, “There are many people who are willing to buy whatever you are selling. If you sell a product, persuade clients properly why they need to buy it, then you cannot go wrong,” Onkagile said.
However, Onkagile said in order for this to work, young people need to change how they view the world.
“The problem is that most young people have a sense of entitlement and always feel that government owes them something. We need to abolish this type of thinking, so that we can inspire people to get up and do things for themselves.
“It is up to you to recognise it. If you do not have the willpower to do it, no matter what people tell you, you will not achieve it,” Onkagile added.
