With the aim of further making a dent on South Africa’s high unemployment levels, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) will use Global Entrepreneurship Week (14 to 20 November 2011) to inspire young people to embrace entrepreneurial thinking. Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest annual campaign that promotes entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking.
During this week all 144 NYDA information dissemination and access points across the country will address the “what, how, who, when and where” of the entrepreneurship world and encourage young people to be innovative and creative in their entrepreneurial thinking. Some of the activities that will take
place at the NYDA access points are as follows:
- Exhibitions where young people will get an opportunity to showcase their programmes and services.
- Seminars and dialogue sessions where entrepreneurs who have benefited from NYDA business support services and programmes will share experiences, information, lessons learned, be inspired through motivational talks and address concerns and anxieties.
- Roadshows where NYDA business support programmes and services will be highlighted.
The NYDA prioritises the development of young entrepreneurs, particularly those in peri-urban and rural areas and those with disabilities as they are mainly affected by the high unemployment levels. Recent reports by Statistics South Africa show that the unemployment rate has increased by 0.1%, youth make
up about 70% of the unemployed group in the country.
According to Tamari Mavasa, NYDA Economic Development Executive Manager, during the 2010/2011 the NYDA managed to create 18 038 jobs for young people. Jobs created through self-employment initiatives such as Micro Finance, SME Funding, the Business Consultancy Services Voucher Programme and Market Linkages, accounted for a total of 14, 225 jobs out of the total 18 038, this exceeded the target of 11,438 set for the year under review. “While the NYDA has made strides in supporting young entrepreneurs, we realise that much more still needs to be done. We also encourage the public and private sector and civil society to partner with us so that we can reach more young people,” she says.
The NYDA currently offers the following financial and non-financial business support programmes and services:
- Business loans ranging from R1000 to 5 million. This includes Micro Finance, Co-operative Funding, Group Lending and Franchise Funding
- The Business Consultancy Services Voucher Programme offers young entrepreneurs access to business development support services such as bookkeeping, marketing, tendering support, website development and more for just R200
- The Volunteer Enterprise Mentorship Programme is aimed at transferring business management skills and knowledge to youth in business through the guidance of experienced volunteer business mentors.
- The Business Opportunities Support Services involves ongoing lobbying of potential opportunity providers in the private and public sector to avail business opportunities to young people. The opportunities vary from procurement, retail and distribution, acquisition of equity stakes.
- The Entrepreneurship Development Programme creates entrepreneurship awareness and provides business skills training to aspiring and existing young entrepreneurs with the aim of enabling them to establish or expand their enterprises.
- The Community Development Programme facilitates and identifies opportunities with a bias towards rural communities with the aim of empowering them to take full advantage of potential opportunities through the provision of capacity building interventions and/or access to financial and non-financial support to enhance their livelihoods NYDA beneficiary stories can be found at www.nyda.gov.za
Media enquiries:
Refilwe Mphane
Tel: 011 651 7175
Cell: 084 308 5860
E-mail: rmphane@nyda.gov.za
