SA Social entrepreneurs stand in line to win $1 million in funding

Now in its 6^th year, The Chivas Venture offers social entrepreneurs who use business to solve social and environmental issues, an opportunity to attract local investment and to present their authentic enterprise ideas to potential funders on a global stage.

 “The Chivas Venture illustrates Chivas’ belief in blending ambition with generosity and using success to enrich the lives of others – a philosophy instilled in the 19^th century by founding brothers James and John Chivas,” Blue Masoka, brand manager for Chivas Regal South Africa, said.

Since the competition’s launch in 2014, Chivas Venture-supported enterprises have enriched the lives of more than one million people in over 40 countries, across six continents.

“It’s no secret that South Africa has significant social and environmental challenges that need urgent solutions. We also have no shortage of bright young minds who continually dream up creative and authentic solutions – and then make them a reality,” said Masoka.

Applications for Chivas Venture 2020 open on 10 September and close on 31 October, after which the South African finalists will be announced.  The top five SA finalists will then receive skills training from local business mentors, to equip them to pitch for funding on the global stage.

“Our selection process singles out those ventures that contribute towards at least one of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The winning finalist will then jet off to the United Kingdom to take part in an exclusive accelerator programme hosted by The Conduit in London,” Masoka said.

The intensive training programme will give social entrepreneurs the chance to hone their pitches ahead of the final event, the global finale to be held in Amsterdam in June 2020, to battle it out against finalists from 29 countries across the world for a share of $1 million in funding.

Matthew Piper is the 2019 South African finalist and the man behind Khula, a fast-growing B2B marketplace for emerging farmers in Africa. Khula aims to create more efficient supply chains and is a convergence of food, logistics, fin-tech and big data.

“I believe social entrepreneurialism connects you to your life purpose, and how it can be used to serve the world. This is the impetus behind Khula – it’s a venture that efficiently and sustainably pursues solving a social problem as its mission,” said Piper.

Masoka said social entrepreneurship and business blends well together because on the one hand, entrepreneurs can solve real problems and on the other, create a business case which can sustain what they have created.

“Chivas Venture provides a real opportunity for those social entrepreneurs who make a positive impact or benefit society or the environment – to take their enterprises to the next level – to the benefit of the planet and its people,” concluded Masoka.

Local social entrepreneurs are invited to participate in Chivas Venture 2020 by signing up on the Chivas Venture website.