Our country’s journey has never been easy, but it has always been driven by the spirit and determination of its people. Just as the youth of 1976 were unapologetic in their activism and resilience, so too should the youth of 2024 strive to be innovative in their problem-solving and vision for the future.
As we’ve just wrapped up Youth Month, we want to reflect on some of our highlights.
A year ago, 40 young South African’s joined the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (YEP) as an act of courage and evidence of taking responsibility for themselves and their lives. This June, we celebrated the fruits of that decision at the 2024 YEP Graduation. Our graduates had the opportunity to interface with young and inspiring entrepreneur, Godi Mogojane, who is the founder of Delivery Ka Speed, an online food delivery business established to bring convenience to the township market. Mr Dumisani Sithole, Manager of Products and Services, Programme Design, Development and Delivery within the NYDA (National Youth Development Agency), who spoke to the youth about the opportunities that exist for young entrepreneurs.
The Innovator Trust YEP programme is strategically crafted to elevate the skills and capabilities of the next generation of business leaders. Intending to help unemployed, matriculated youth to discover their entrepreneurial potential, the Innovator Trust YEP programme provides practical training for youth relevant to the modern environment they find themselves living in. During the 1 year programme, YEPers are exposed to business model canvassing, financial management, digital marketing, coding and machine learning, personal development support, and 1-on-1 mentorship.
We celebrate the impact YEP has had over the years with more than 190 young lives touched through this programme.
Beyond the training and mentorship offered by the YEP program, a vital component is the Business Presentations. During the presentations each of the YEP beneficiaries showcased their innovative business ideas and plans to a panel of industry experts. This year, the panel was blown away by many of the presentations, making it a real challenge to select the winners. Congratulations to the Top 3 YEP Business Presentation winners who each received a R10 000 cash prize, courtesy of the Innovator Trust, as starting capital to boost their businesses.
1st Place - Tanganedzeni Mfamadi (Gauteng)
2nd Place - James Mnisi (Gauteng)
3rd Place - Ziyanda Zibane (KwaZulu Natal)
We also celebrated our YEP 2024 Top Achievers who were recognised for their outstanding performance throughout the programme.. Each Top Achiever received a R2,500 Takealot voucher courtesy of the Innovator Trust.
Overall Top Achiever (MP/GP) – Mpumi Makua
Overall Top Achiever (KZN) – Lungelo Gwala
Overall Top Achiever (EC) - Kuhle Gxarubana
The Innovator Trust YEP internship is always a standout feature! Each year, every YEP beneficiary gets placed in a real business environment in order to give our youth firsthand experience of what it takes to run a business in South Africa and more importantly, to introduce school-leaving youth to the real-life world of work and what it requires in order to learn, grow and capacitate themselves.
Congratulations to all our graduates this year for making the best of their internship experiences!
Watch our IG Live on “The Importance of Internships: A Youth Empowerment Journey”, where we delved into the vital topic of internships and their significance in shaping the future of our youth, and gain valuable insights into the transformative potential for both interns and organisations alike.
Being a digital native demands an inquisitive mind, a visionary foresight and an audacious courage. These attributes are what empowered Keamogetse, a CPUT student, to take bold steps toward meaningful change in his campus and in his community. This is his story.
In a society where conformity is celebrated, our youth continue to inspire and spur all of us to defy the norm. They walk differently, speak differently, think differently and operate on a level our society is yet to fully grasp and understand. One thing we know for sure is that the Youth of South Africa are indeed changing the game.
Our Youth are Coded Differently.
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