Events such as the annual Poster and Pitch Competition is a catalyst for the establishment of a hatchery of entrepreneurial ideas which support the vision of increasing youth participation in entrepreneurship.  False Bay TVET College is intentional about instilling a culture of entrepreneurship amongst the student population, getting them to think differently about entrepreneurship as a career of choice.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Expo and Poster & Pitch Competition creates such a platform for students and graduates to explore and showcase their business ideas. Each idea is evaluated against its economic potential and transferred from the hatchery to incubator for market penetration.

This year, seventy-five (75) students exhibited their ideas to secure seed capital to start their businesses. Growing on the previous year’s event success, participants included emerging SMME category as well as existing SMME category. The sponsors provided 5 prizes at R10 000 each for the businesses with an economic compelling market potential.

Organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI) under the slogan, Start, Launch, Build your Business with us. The event was hosted at the College’s Khayelitsha Campus and brought together the entrepreneurial ecosystem which support aspiring young entrepreneurs with both financial and non-financial support.

Organisations such as SEDA, SEFA, IDC, Chamber of Commerce, Kuba, First National Bank, GCIS, Department of Labor, Services Seta, TSIBA and Future Managers participated in the event. These organizations provided their skills and expertise to evaluate and adjudicate 75 posters presented in the hatchery. The following 5 businesses each won R10 000.
The adjudicating stakeholders had a difficult task deciding the winners.

The top 3 winners from emerging concepts were:

1st Position:  Haadin Waggie – Adventures 4U: Manufacture, sell and hire out Kayaks.

2nd Position: Vivian Boyce – Econo Building: To combat the enormous challenge of township being plaque with fires. Design and manufacture recycle building material which is fire retardant.

3rd Position: Siphesihle Ngidi – 1994 Flavoured by design to set up a street food restaurant

Our top 2 winners from existing businesses:

1st Position:  Tenchwill Solomons – Born Free Construction focusses on providing specialist waterproofing and home renovations services.

2nd Position: William Raophala – Nala Juice Company- producing 100% natural juice

Yandisa Langa, the 2016 winner of the first Poster& Pitch competition was this year’s key note speaker and shared his journey of building a profitable agricultural business. He appealed to the participants to believe in themselves and to play an active role in creating a better future for all in South Africa by making the most of every opportunity that comes their way. Yapa Msezane, the 2018 Poster & Pitch winner illustrated the importance of putting in the hard work to bring their concept to reality. He stated that they must draw on partnerships to make their dreams a reality.

Besides the R10 000 seed capital for the 5 winners First National Bank made a surprise announcement to provide the top 3 winners with additional cash prices. They further committed themselves to provide non-financial support to the top 30 Poster & Pitch participants going forward of how to do their bookkeeping more efficiently plus analysis of their financial statements.

Feedback from the participants and stakeholders highlighted the importance of visibility and networking opportunities. Yama Coffee exhibit their concept as well sold their product to the delegates.

They commented “We definitely owe the CFE a huge thank you for encouraging us to enter the poster and pitch. It was an amazing experience, we learnt a lot and look forward to entering more competitions in the future.”

We strongly believe that igniting youth entrepreneurship is set to become a major focal area in the future strategy of TVET Colleges and it is very encouraging to see that our FBC have set a benchmark and framework for TVET Colleges to duplicate. Entrepreneurship is right at the nucleus of economic growth, and this is definitely an aspect of student development and skills training that we must continue to pursue.

Our vision for 2020 is to host a Western Cape Poster and Pitch Competition comprising of the 6 TVET colleges in Western Cape.

By Abraham Oliver: Centre for Entrepreneurship / Rapid Incubator Manager.  For more information about the Centre for Entrepreneurship \ Rapid Incubator go to www.falsebayincubate.co.za

‘Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.’  – Niccolo Machiavelli

To make it in business, you don’t need to be an intellectual. Anyone can learn the business skills, but it’s vital to be strong, emotionally and psychologically.

Enthusiasm, determination, a desire to be independent, to call the shots, so to speak, must be part of your make-up. It is also important to have a spouse, family, friends and other support groups who believe in your vision, and who you can depend on when times get tough.

Before you commit to a life of entrepreneurship, ask if you honestly agree with the following statements. Your answers will reveal possible weaknesses in your business mindset.

The top 15 keys for business success!  Do you . . .

01.  Have self-belief: I believe in myself, my product and service

02.  Have relevant experience: I am experienced in my chosen field

03.  Push through: I am self-motivated and can handle tasks I don’t particularly enjoy

04.  Have organisational skills: I am organised and can set priorities to maximise my efficiency

05.  Have realistic goals: I set realistic goals and work to achieve them

06.  Work wisely: I work smart to preserve my health

07.  Take responsibility: I take responsibility for my actions and fix mistakes easily and quickly

08.  Have determination: I continue working toward long-term goals despite inevitable setbacks

09.  A positive attitude: I can see the potential in a situation and work to achieve it

10.  Handle stress well: I am optimistic and handle stressful situations with a positive attitude

11.  Have communication skills: I express ideas and feelings logically, both orally and in writing

12.  Work hard: I tackle work with enthusiasm and a high energy level

13.  Have a support structure: My family and friends support my decision to start a business

14.  Focus: Once committed, I stay focused on my primary goals

15.  Self-motivation: I can work alone for long periods of time.

Compiled from sources including the Sanlam start-up guide

1. Observant – actively looks for business opportunities around them
2. Flexible – things often don’t go according to plan
3. Confident – believe in themselves and their product
4. Creative thinker and problem solver
5. Risk taker – willing to take calculated risks
6. Takes responsibility – for their words and actions
7. Resilient – the ability to start again after a failure
8. Hard worker – sometimes without financial reward in the beginning
9. Optimistic – and does not allow themselves to get discouraged by others
10. DOES NOT GIVE UP!

An entrepreneur is someone who:

1. Is observant and actively looks for business opportunities around them. 2. Thinks creatively,and is a problem solver. 3. Is willing to take business risks. 4. Is willing to work hard – sometimes without financial reward in the beginning. 5. Does not allow themselves to get discouraged by others and DOES NOT GIVE UP! Does this sound like you? If so…read on!

Successful entrepreneurs:

1. Have a vision, a business plan and the determination to succeed!

2. Network with others for support, and to find opportunities!

3. Move around their communities looking and listening to what people want or need.

4. Understand that running a successful business needs many different skills. When necessary they bring in people who have the skills that they do not.

5. Understand the importance of managing their finances carefully and do not waste money

6. Invest profits back into the company

7. Comply with legal business requirements: Click here for more information.

8. Keep on learning

9. Seek, and accept, good advice from experts

10. Share wisdom to help other emerging entrepreneurs along the way If you are sure that you want to become an entrepreneur, there are MANY opportunities and support systems to help make your dreams become a reality.

Be observant – see the gap – be brave – take the initiative (go for it!)

A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now.
Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today.

The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.
– Nolan Bushnell