Entrepreneurs gain skills through mentorship programme
They received training in finance, marketing and business operations.
Agriculture continues to play a big part on the South Coast, and Nelly Zama of Polka dot coco Pty Ltd, a farm located at the Ubambamo Homestead in Scottburgh is flying the flag high for young women in the area.
An entrepreneur and founder of Polka dot which she co-runs with her sister Nolwazi Zama, the duo also specialises in handcrafted accessories.
“We are always on the lookout for opportunities and we came across a programme that would take our small brand and be counted among the 25 Women in Tourism qualifying businesses in KwaZulu-Natal,” Nelly said.
An initiative championed by SA Tourism, Nedbank and McGeralds Entrepreneurship Centre to assist small businesses in South Africa, 25 participants were selected in each province and were assisted, trained and mentored for three months since January.
“We went though an intense three days of training in finance in January, and a further three days in February that focused on marketing. This month we will focus on business operations. Not only are we learning from our coaches, but we are learning from each other as there are businesses among us that have been operating for almost 20 years,” said Nelly.
Having learned the trade from her father Aubrey who has been involved in farming for many years, Nelly aims to make the top five in the province, to receive further mentorship from McGeralds, Nedbank and SA Tourism.
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