Next week is Global Entrepreneurship Week. The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) plans to use this period to accelerate the promotion of youth entrepreneurship and showcase its business development offerings as an integrated service.
The 2010 small and medium enterprise (SMEs) survey, sponsored by the NYDA, recently released its findings where it emerged that although many local SMEs expected more from South Africa’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup, the football spectacular brought very little with it in terms of business due to FIFA’s regulations which locked down the economic benefits and only made them available to a selected few service providers. It revealed also that 17% of local SMEs had limited or no internet connection.
The NYDA whose business development service division boasts programmes such as Business Consultancy Services (BCS) Voucher Programme, Business Opportunities Support Service (BOSS), Volunteer Enterprise Mentorship, among others, will use the Global Entrepreneurship Week to host different sessions for aspiring and established entrepreneurs with the aim to encourage entrepreneurship amongst the youth. BOSS aims to provide SMMEs on its database with business linkages including procurement; Volunteer Enterprise Mentorship links young entrepreneurs with established mentors to support them in their business while the BCS voucher programme provides young entrepreneurs with access to business development services such as company registrations, business plan development and tendering at a fee of R200 per voucher.
Starting on Monday, 15 November 2010, aspiring young entrepreneurs as well as young people who are already in business will get a chance to learn more on what the NYDA and other institutions such as Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and South African Revenue Service (SARS) have to offer during the Awareness session. They will have access to a group mentorship session.
Each session will host no less than 200 young entrepreneurs with the aim to promote entrepreneurship among young South Africans, create awareness of what it takes to start a small business. They will also provide a network and collaboration platform for SMME practitioners as well as showcase NYDA products as an integrated service.
Please note:
- These sessions are free and open to any young person who has a business or wishing to start a business.
- Booking is essential as space is limited.
For bookings please contact:
Lebo Rakhothule
Tel: 011 651 7000 (ext. 1156)
E-mail: lrakhothule@nyda.gov.za
Tsholo Molomo
Tel: 011 651 7000 (ext. 1134)
E-mail: tmolomo@nyda.gov.za.
Enquiries:
Linda Mbongwa
Tel: 011 651 7053
Cell: 082 315 3217
