Oshabeni youth pitch for business funding
Three businesses from Oshabeni will receive start-up capital after a four-day Junior Achievement South Africa training programme.
The youth of Oshabeni were recently provided with an opportunity to pitch their business ideas, with the aim of securing funding to start their businesses.
Ndumiso Mjwara of Junior Achievement South African said a four-day programme was held at the Oshabeni MPCC Hall last Friday.
“We are here with the Social Equity Programme to help young people in the area get funds to assist their businesses. We target young people who have business ideas, but don’t have the money to start. We offer funding to any type of business that will solve an issue that is constant in that particular area. We ask young people to identify problems and come up with solutions,” he said.
He added that their organisation can’t just give any individual money.
“This is why we first offered them training in the days we spent together. From the groups that were trained, we will have to pick the top three who will receive funding for their businesses. We will select people based on their business ideas and how well they pitched it,” he said.
Mjwara added that the money the three businesses will receive is solely for the benefit of their communities through their businesses.
Grateful for the training, Thalente Ngcobo of Hunny Bunny Bakery said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Most of us thought you need over R100 000 to start a business, but through this programme I learned that all you need to do is start,” he said.
Also, Silindile Khanyile of Imfuno Trading said she was grateful to be featured in the programme.
She said if her company could be among the three companies that receive funding, she would be able to employ other young people and also expand her business outside of Oshabeni.
“My business is focused on growing and selling chickens. I currently need money to buy chicks, to build a one-room house to grow the chicks, food for the chickens and a water tank. Winning the money would go a long way,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mthembeni Mbili said he thought it was important to also invite young people in the arts sector to pitch their business ideas.
Mbili said he wanted young people to learn they could turn their art into a business.
He explained that young people still have a long way to go in terms of drafting their business plans and pitching their business ideas.
“We are here to guide them and make sure that they do not make the mistakes that we made,” said Mbili.
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