Five fashion entrepreneurs won a business incubation prize worth more than R100 000 during The Hook Up Dinner Ekurhuleni (THUDEkurhuleni) held at Germiston Lake on Thursday last week.
The City of Ekurhuleni through its Youth Directorate, partnered with THUD and other stakeholders, like the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), to support the business of young people in Ekurhuleni.
During THUDEkurhuleni, the city and its stakeholders pledged financial support, as well as non-financial support, to young entrepreneurs.
The network sessions take place once a month whereby young people pitch their ideas to experts and their peers.
They are given advice on how to improve and grow their businesses.
The City of Ekurhuleni divisional head for the Youth Directorate advocate Modise Koetle said the sessions will have different themes for pitching that will change every month.
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In July, the theme was youth in agriculture.
“THUDEkurhuleni gives young people in business a chance to network with their peers, experts, potential funders and customers,” he said.
“These sessions give young people access to the market, especially in the SMME sector.”
David Tlale, one of the fashion heavyweights in the country, urged participants to master the basics, identify their skills and refine them.
“Go to fashion schools and companies that teach and produce, respectively, the line of fashion you want to pursue and learn how they do what they are doing,” Tlale said.
“Know the types of material they use and the purposes for which they use them.”
He also advised the young fashion designers to make use of mentors and learnerships to know the trade.
Obed Letsoho from NYDA announced that his organisation will give five entrepreneurs who pitched on the day four vouchers for services, such as business plans, marketing strategies and other essential services, they need to grow their businesses.
He added that NYDA will be giving mentoring services to these fashion entrepreneurs.
Letsoho said young people of Ekurhuleni can access the services of NYDA by visiting www.nyda.gov.za or its offices at 50 Church Street, old Boksburg Magistrate’s Court.
They can also call its call centre on 0800 52 52 52.
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