LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS GET SUPPORT

February 2022.

Fifty young business owners attended a Social Entrepreneurship workshop on small business building and sustainability held at the Bridal Community Hall. This programme, funded by Boikanyo Solar, is part of a broader and ongoing Enterprise Development initiative to aid small business owners.

The aim of the programme is to help curb the high unemployment rates in the country and provide on-going assistance to SMMEs over a nine-month period. This occurs in a three-phase process that includes conducting asset mapping and needs analysis of SMMEs in communities, providing training and mentorship, as well as skills development training to poultry production and water and wastewater treatment training.

“I have benefited from a lot of valuable knowledge with regards to the financial aspect of running a business. As a result, I now know how to plan and with a 30 day plan I can evaluate my company’s current position with regards to finance, recourses,” said Gerald Ruiters, owner of Douglas Renaissance Centre.

The programme prioritises youth and woman empowerment in business by affording young entrepreneurs with leadership and support on how to access funding for their business, build capacity, improve their business skills, and ultimately learn how to establish and build a sustainable small business.

Programme beneficiary Bongani Tshaka, Managing Director of Zen Cyber Capsule, has a dream of making his company a pioneering information technology company in emerging and rural communities, in the Northern Cape. He added, “I learned how to invoice and price correctly, which is an essential skill for running any small business. As a result of the discussions, I learned that entrepreneur software is available, including bookkeeping and invoicing apps. Moreover, I discovered that businesses that are not operating should file a nil return to get a tax clearance certificate.”