Pta woman gives entrepreneurs a boost
She helped an ex-con make his candle-making business a success and another young man to start a satellite dish installation business.
A local champion of small business has been recognised with an award by the Rotary Club of Pretoria Capital.
The recipient, Martha Deacon, is the CEO and founder of the Townships Project.
She has for 20 years been using non-profit organisations in Canada and South Africa to jump-start the creation of small businesses.
The project was a response to Madiba’s challenge at the World Council of Churches Assembly in Harare, to “do something about the poverty in my country”.
Townships Project, working with South African partners, makes small loans to groups of women in Mdantsane, later in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and other townships to start or expand small businesses.
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Deacon said she had been identifying entrepreneurs in townships, and assisting them to establish their business with money raised in Canada.
Riana Pretorius, who organised the award, said Deacon never lost sight – despite setbacks – of her passion to help people in townships to do their own thing.
Deacon partnered with the Rotary club as she wanted a trustworthy organisation to help with the mentoring of entrepreneurs.
She helped locals such as an ex-con to make his candle-making business a success.
Pretorius said Deacon had also helped a young man start a satellite dish installation business.
He now employed 120 people.
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Deacon said her idea was to set up businesses that created jobs and would help other locals where possible start their own enterprises.
Deacon had raised R35 000 000 from various individuals in Canada for the club to finance its initiatives.
Pretorius said most of the money was spent as seed capital to grow new businesses.
A lot was at risk as not all businesses were successful.
She also funded a business symposium for young entrepreneurs on starting out.
This saw 157 entrepreneurs being sponsored to attend the two-day symposium in Pretoria.
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