Judges at the first round of the Youthstart Entrepreneurs Challenge held at Bellville Library earlier this week, are, from left Andile Magadla (City of Cape Town), Monalisa Maposa (ABSA), Mandisa Banjwa, Blanche Olivier, Siphokazi Dyani and Abigail Jacobs-Williams from City of Cape Town.
A City initiative aimed at giving young entrepreneurs a boost got off to a slow start this week when only about 10 young hopefuls showed up at Bellville Library to pitch their business ideas.
Monday’s session was the first round of the Youth Start CT entrepreneurial challenge, which is run by the Social Development and Early Childhood Development department of the City of Cape Town. Its aim is to contribute to business skills development, innovation and the growth of entrepreneurs in Cape Town.
“This project started in 2016, it has really evolved in the last couple of years, and it's from the point that the City recognises that young people have many struggles, that we are all familiar with the types of communities that we service,” said Abigail Jacobs-Williams, the City’s head of ECD and Youth Development Programmes.
She said through their interventions, the City had learned that not all young people want to work for a boss, but rather, would like to be their own boss and invest in the community and other young people.
“As a municipality our mandate is not only to provide youth with entrepreneurial support, but we have enough power to be able to be partners, and we have enough resources in terms of spaces to bring young people together and give them access to these kinds of opportunities, where we link partners, strategic partners particularly in the small business space,” said Ms Jacobs-Williams.
Entrants in the challenge have three minutes to pitch an existing business or business idea in front of the panel - but these must fall into the categories of manufacturing, farming or agriculture, tourism, finance and business services, or information technology.
Upcoming pitch sessions will take place on Monday February 26 at Grassy Park civic centre; Thursday March 7 at Parow civic centre and Monday March 11 at Van Riebeeck Hall in Kuils River.
The top entrants will be offered training and mentoring before being required to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges from Wednesday April 3. Every week a number of entrants will be eliminated from the competition and the winner will be announced at a gala dinner on Wednesday May 29.