Piloted in 2015, CCBSA’s Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP), supported by Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa) was established to make a meaningful and sustainable impact on youth unemployment and enterprise development, particularly in the communities where the company operates.
“Given that young people currently constitute over 35% of our country’s population and that so many of them face significant barriers to entering the formal job market, it’s critical that we create alternative opportunities for them,” says Tsholofelo Mqhayi, Head of Enterprise and Community Development at CCBSA.
“This is the philosophy at the heart of our YEP: to empower and cultivate a generation of self-starters and enterprising youth who then go on to create sustainable opportunities for others.”
The comprehensive rollout of the YEP – which will start with town hall sessions scheduled for 3 – 6 October 2016 in Rustenburg, North West – will see the company partner with key stakeholders including the Royal Bafokeng Enterprise Development (RBED) and Youth Development Centre to bring CCBSA’s “Bizniz in a Box” solution to the youth of North West.
“Bizniz in a Box combines the theory and practical training these young entrepreneurs need to make a success of their own start-up spaza container store,” says Mqhayi.
“The programme involves the selection, training, participation and eventual economic independence of a cross-section of township youth between the ages of 18 and 35, with 45 finally being selected to manage and run their own spaza stores in the area.”
Over 100 youth will benefit through the programme at a broader level however, as they are taken through a selection process as an outcome of the training.
“As an organisation committed to the full participation of our youth through sustainable development, we’re excited about the new opportunities this will create for young people in the area,” notes Mqhayi. “Through the Bizniz in a Box process, we’re hoping to reshape the youth’s focus towards entrepreneurship and help them understand the importance of sustainable partnerships, as well as the benefits of creating their own unique value proposition. In this way, we will lay a foundation towards their future business success.”
Interested youth from surrounding areas are invited to join CCBSA for Town Hall sessions which will start at 10am and 2pm at the following venues and dates:
Date | Region/Village | Time | Venue |
03 October | Potsaneng, South East Region | 09:00am | Tsukudu High School |
04 October | Tsitsing, North East Region | 09:00am | Manape Secondary School |
04 October | Kanana | 02:00pm | Matsukubyane Secondary School |
05 October | Chaneng, North Region | 09:00am | Bonwakgogo Primary School |
05 October | Luka Village, North Region | 02:00pm | Thethe Secondary School |
06 October | Phokeng, Capital Region | 09:00am | Phokeng Conference Centre |
“The partnership with CCBSA is one that enables us to achieve our mandate of supporting SMMEs and co-operatives in the priority province of South Africa. Through this project, we will provide credit to entrepreneurial youth, beginning in the North West region,” explains Thakhani Makhuvha, Chief Executive Officer at sefa.
Makhuvha adds that in the near future, sefa will work with CCBSA to expand coverage to the Free State, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. “Our collaboration will also enable sefa to contribute meaningfully to alleviation of the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.”
“We look forward to taking qualifying young people from Rustenburg on a new journey of opportunities by setting them on a path to future sustainable success,” concludes Mqhayi.