Top 5 young entrepreneurs of 2014

SAB announced the top 5 young entrepreneurs for 2014 during Global Entrepreneurship week.

Overall winner from Pretoria walks away with share of R1.5-million in business grant funding

Johannesburg. 18 November 2014. The South African Breweries (SAB) has announced the Top 5winners in its youth entrepreneurship programme, SAB KickStart, each receiving a share of R1.5-million in business grant funding.

The announcement was made at an awards ceremony during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in Sandton, Johannesburg, today.

The overall winner of the SAB KickStart competition this year is Millicent Nyembe of Nyembe WasteManagement who walked away with R500 000 grant funding and a 6 months business developmentsupport and mentorship.

The runners up were: Chad Petersen, owner of Artisan Research Unit, who received R400 000;Tsholofelo Majeng, owner of Maiktronic CC, who received R300 000; Reamogetswe Tshabalala,owner of Pfuxaka Enzokuhle, received R200 000; and Jeffrey Mafalo, owner of Falos Wire and Steel,who received R100 000. They will also receive additional 6 months business development supportand mentorship to assist in efficiently employing the grant investment provided.

Millicent Nyembe (31) is the owner of Nyembe Waste Management, based in Pretoria, whichspecialises in crime scene cleaning and transportation of health care risk waste. The business hasbeen operational since 2012 and provides a service to emergency services and health care facilitiesacross Gauteng. This year, she has been focusing her efforts on improving customer service, the dayto day management of the business, negotiating with existing customers and working on acquiringnew customers for long term contracts, as well as improving administrative efficiencies. Millicentsays that this year she has gained more confidence in herself as an entrepreneur as a result of thementorship programme, which she says provided encouragement.

Chad Petersen (32) is from Cape Town and established Artisan Research Unit in 2012, a businessspecialising in the design and manufacturing of luxury leather goods for the high-end market. Chadsays that since participating in SAB KickStart, the business has grown, from operating from their 1bedroom flat and offering their product range out of local Cape Town craft and design markets, torecently opening a store at the V&A Waterfront. Artisan Research Unit is now also available inJohannesburg and an international investor will take the brand into Germany early in 2015. Theirproduct range includes backpacks, card holders, wallets, and leather wine bottle holders for theluxury hospitality industry.

Tsholofelo Majengs (33) Maiktronic CC is based in Kuruman in the Northern Cape and wasestablished in 2011. It specialises in the fabrication of structural metal products and the supply andinstallation of electronic and security systems. Tsholofelo says that SAB KickStart has helped herdevelop clear goals to work towards in her business and to identify problem areas which wereneglected in the past. This year, the business has moved from home-based production to a spaciousindustrial work area and DIY tools have been exchanged for industrial machinery.

Reamogetswe Tshabalala (26), a former Mechanical Engineering student, started his tombstone

manufacturing and composite material business, Pfuxaka Enzokuhle, in 2012, after identifying a gapin the market for offering a cost effective product. During SAB KickStart he received training incomposite material to increase his product range, which now includes logistic pallets and sanitaryware.

Jeffrey Mafalo (35) is the owner of Falos Wire and Steel situated in Makotse Village, Lebowakgomo,Limpopo. The lack of wire and steel products and service in Limpopos communities promptedJeffrey, with his experience in Electrical Engineering and Manufacturing, to start a small business.Falos Wire and Steel was founded in 2008. The business now does wire and steel engineering workfor local municipalities.

The top 5 winners were selected from a group of 17 SAB KickStart finalists who each underwent anintensive programme of business development support over a period of 12 months. This included abusiness growth strategy designed for their business, grant funding of between R100 000 and R200000, as well as individualised business mentorship. This support model is designed to build andstrengthen the capabilities of the SMEs so that they become sustainable entities with the ability tocreate jobs, wealth and make a worthwhile contribution the countrys economy.

In selecting the winners, an independentpanel of judges considers the overall businessperformance, business sustainability and itspotential, as well as the effectiveimplementation of growth strategies duringthe SAB KickStart mentorship and businessdevelopment phase.

The year-long journey of the 17 national SABKickStart finalists was celebrated during theawards ceremony. SAB paid specialrecognition to the group who it believesmakes a significant contribution towardsreducing youth unemployment, which according to official statistics has been on a downwardtrajectory since 2008.

The top 17 national finalists created a total of 98 fulltime and part-time jobs since the start of theirparticipation in SAB KickStart. This is 34 more jobs than was created in 2013, when SAB KickStartfinalist businesses created a total of 64 jobs. Refentse Shinners, SAB Enterprise DevelopmentManager said that the year-on-year increase in job creation by the young SAB KickStart finalists wasan encouraging indication that our model of outcomes-based business training, grant funding andcomprehensive business development support, has potential to establish strong small business.

SAB KickStart, introduced in 1995, is designed to help address this need to create sustainable jobsthrough supporting the development of high impact young entrepreneurs.

The programmes efforts are focused on instilling a culture of entrepreneurship amongst youngSouth Africans by providing much needed finance coupled with business development support andintensive mentorship. The beneficiaries should, as a result be empowered to build thrivingenterprises and create much needed jobs.

GAUTENG

Tsepho Marumule, 30, is owner of Tsepho Merafong Trading, an environmental and sustainabilitysolutions company offering sustainability reporting, greenhouse gas emissions measurement,reduction strategies and training, and carbon tax advisory. The business is based in Khutsong,Carltonville.

Leeko Nkala, 34, is the owner of Chilladiddo, a food relish production, packaging and distributionbusiness based in Hammanskraal in Northern Gautetng.

Marcia Mofokeng, 33, is the owner of Alurcia Aluminium and Glass based in Katlehong in the East ofJohannesburg. The business manufactures customised aluminium windows, sliding doors and shopfront doors.

Reamogetswe Tshabalala, 26, is the owner of Pfuxaka Enzokuhle, a business that manufacturestombstones and composite material products such as sanitary ware. It is based in Bronkhorstspruit.

Lerato Radebe, 35, is owner of Imagined Steel and Structural Engineering, based in Kagiso nearKrugersdorp. The business specialises in the fabrication of steel products, including carports, mobiletrailers and gates.

Millicent Nyembe, 31, is the owner of Millicent Nyembe Waste Management, which specialises incrime scene cleaning and transportation of health care risk waste. The business is based in Pretoria.

WESTERN CAPE

Benjamin Mdokwana, 35, is the owner of Ben Petroleum, a supplier of cost effective paraffin tocommunities in the Western Cape. Benjamin is originally from Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.

Chad Petersen, 32, is owner of Artisan Research Unit, a designer, manufacturer and distributer ofpremium leather products, based in Cape Town.

LIMPOPO

Jeffrey Mafalo, 35, is the owner of Falos Wire and Steel based in the Makotse Village ofLebowakgomo. The business manufactures and distributes wire and steel products.

KWAZULU NATAL

Sboniso Mtshali, 31, is the owner of Africonic Data, a ICT Management and networking solutionsbusiness, based in Umhlanga, north of Durban. Sboniso is originally from Lamonville in Durban.

Simphiwe Mazibuko, 33, is the owner of Ejimini, a community health and wellness centre based inEmpangeni.

Sicelo Mzimela, 31, is the owner of Tender Taste Trading, a uniquely South African restaurant basedin Westville and Durbans CBD. The restaurant offers interest menu choices, including BlackEmpowerment.

NORTHERN CAPE

Tsholofelo Majeng, 33, is the owner of Maiktronic CC, a structural metal fabrication businessestablished in 2011 and based in the Northern Cape town of Kuruman. The business also suppliesand installs electronic and security systems.

Earl Strauss Muller, 32, is the owner of NAM Petroleum, a producer of renewable andenvironmentally friendly biodiesel and the only one of its kind in the Namaqua Region. The businessis based in Concordia, Springbok.

Abram Rankeng, 34, is the owner of Rainbow Granite and Marble Works Enterprise based inKimberley. The business manufactures granite products including countertops, tiles and tombstones.

EASTERN CAPE

Wanni Toyana, 33, is the owner of Otjiwarongo Projects, a vegetation management businessspecialising in grass cutting and tree felling for private and public clients. The business is based inEast London.

Siphamandla Javu, 29, is the owner of Mzansi Telecoms and Projects based in Port Elizabeth. Thebusiness specialises in providing telecommunications solutions in the Eastern Cape province.

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