All over South Africa committed people are igniting change in their local communities by starting up small businesses that aim to solve major social issues. These people are part of a global movement known as social entrepreneurship. UnLtd South Africa, a non-profit that supports social entrepreneurs has launched a competition with R50k up for grabs for people in the early stages of developing enterprising and sustainable solutions.
Unlike traditional businesses that are mainly profit driven, social entrepreneurs are mostly measured by the impact they have on their community and the environment around them.
It’s no surprise that South Africa is a breeding ground for social entrepreneurship. Inspired by hope for the future, people are coming up with all kinds of innovative ideas that specifically address problems people face in their daily lives due to extreme poverty and a lack of opportunity. However, to get a new project off the ground, some sort of funding is often needed.
UnLtd South Africa uses a trusted methodology that was developed in the UK to find, fund and support their award winners with a mix of financial and non-financial resources geared towards fostering a sustainable business.
The current UnLtd South Africa competition for social entrepreneurs will be open for applications until March 12th. After carefully reviewing all entries, a shortlist will be chosen to pitch their ideas in front of the expert judges panel. The winner will be awarded with R50K in support, including a monetary grant and access to training and networking events, relevant mentorship, as well as business resources around legal requirements, finance, marketing and more.
Previous Award Winners
Previous award winners include Greenpop, a social enterprise that runs urban greening and reforestation projects that gifts trees to communities in need around subsaharan Africa and Trade-Mark, which provides a sustainable for tradesmen from the townships market themselves to maintain a consistent stream of work, build up their own businesses and break the poverty cycle.
Apply Now
As the latest competition heats up Tom Shutte, Programme director of UnLtd South Africa, expects a wide range of exciting and inventive ideas from prospective award winners. The judges will be looking for up and coming social entrepreneurs oozing with potential and ambition. Applicants must be based in the Western Cape and at least 18 years old to be considered.
Contact
Find out more: http://www.unltdsouthafrica.org/our-awards/apply.html
Please contact Programme Director, Tom Shutte, with questions at tom.shutte@unltdsouthafrica.org
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