Winners of school enterprise challenge

The School Enterprise Challenge is an awards programme for schools around the world. Pupils come up with an idea, plan and start a business their schools business.

Pupils who participate have a chance to win places at our international conference and up to $5000, gain global recognition as an entrepreneurial school, raise extra income for their r school and become part of a global community of enterprising schools.

Meet the winners 2015

Hope Valley Farm School: Umgungundlovu District

School Business Type: Bead Jewellery Making

Overall winner 2015

Pupils at Hope Valley School in Easton made bracelets for tourists and volunteers visiting the area. They conducted in-depth market research by asking international volunteers their thoughts on their plan for ‘Hope Ithemba Hope’. The pupils, many of whom are orphans, have demonstrated real motivation and commitment by designing a beautifully illustrated business idea and a very detailed five year business plan containing a sample of the bracelets. Pupils then raised the start-up capital by selling mealies that were grown on the farm within the school community.The learners long term ambition is to set up an African cultural shop in the local town.

Zithokozise High School: Ugu District

School Business Type: School Tuck Shop

Best Business Plan

Learners from Zithokozise High School in the rural Lower South Coast of South Africa showed initiative and entrepreneurial spirit in their business idea for a Happy Days Tuck Shop. They carried out extensive market research, collecting questionnaires and conducting interviews in and around the school, to find out what the school and its neighbourhood need. In order to raise capital for this great enterprise, the learners came up with a variety of activities, from recycling old exam papers to a car wash and a spelling bee competition. So far they have raised 2100 Rand in Start Up Capital ready to launch their business in January 2016. They have a great sustainability strategy, both grade 10 and 11 work together on the school business. Next year the new grade 11 learners will recruit and mentor grade 10 learners and the cycle will continue.

Dulati Combined School: Sisonke District

School Business Type: School Tuck Shop

Winner of the best business idea

Pupils at Dulati Combined School face many social and economic issues such as crime, illiteracy, and HIV/AIDS. Learners idea of a school tuck shop has been a great success – they conducted extensive market research, and questioned 100% of their target market – learners in the school. After receiving a very positive response, they began to fundraise R20,000 for their project. Some innovative fundraising events have included cash washing, hairdressing, cultural performances and a ‘school funny day’ which shows their commitment and illustrates how much fun learning through school businesses can be for everyone involved.

Runners Up 2015

Marion Secondary School: Umgungundlovu District

School Business Type: Multi Businesses, including a tuck shop, manicure business and toys for younger learners.

Final report prize for most innovative businesses

The learners involved in the School Enterprise Challenge at Marion High School in the city of Pitermartitzburg are passionate that their business ‘Marion Magic’ will be a great success. The learners at this city school started their business with minimal start-up capital and have already brain stormed and carried out extensive market research to ensure that it will be sustainable and profitable. Through this market research, which involved more than 500 fellow learners and teacher, the learners found that there was a demand for a tuck shop and manicure business on the school premises. The learners at Marion School were very creative in using their strict code of conduct (dress code and discipline) in a very positive way to come up with an extremely innovative business within their school. Learners who don’t support the strict dress code will have to attend the Marion Manicure business, making business out of broken school rules!

St John Paul II School: Umgungundlovu District

Runner up business plan prize for perseverance and dedication

Learners decided to set up a tuck shop within the school, having done market research amongst all age groups to find out what people tend to eat at break time and what they would buy. The learners are involved in marketing, public relations, finance, administration and purchasing within the business, meaning they are gaining a whole host of different skills.

Sikanisweni High School: Ugu District

School Business Type: Vegetable Growing

The enterprising learners involved in Garden The Tuck, aged between 14 and 18, came up with several excellent business ideas, including car washing and selling confectionery goods., after carrying out a thorough resource assessment and feasibility study.

After discussing the options, they settled on vegetable growing, as they wanted to provide fresh vegetables to the feeding scheme that runs at their school, and also to local care homes and supermarkets. They also decided to do this in order to capitalise on their skills and opportunities, as all of the learners come from a farming community and so have first-hand experience of agriculture.

Special commendation prizes 2015

Luthando High School: Umgungundlovu District

School business type: Tuck Shop

Special commendation for dedication and perseverance in business.

Through the School Enterprise Challenge, 10 learners from this rural school found that their fellow learners, teachers and local community desired a tuck shop at school. With evidence from market research, they decided to establish a tuck shop that would sell reasonably priced sweets, fruits and crisps. They recognised that the distance from the school and the limited variety of stock limited the main competitor, ‘Faroh Shop’ and that this would be their unique selling point.

Qoqisizwe High School: Umgungundlovu District

Business Type: Tuck Shop

Special commendation for adaptability in business

Qoqisizwe High School is situated in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. For their school enterprise, learners decided to set up a tuck shop to sell fruit and sweets to fellow classmates, and proved their business acumen by identifying a gap in the market of phone credit for teachers, making this their USP and main focus.

Learners raised the start-up capital they needed to start their business through running a market day which involved the whole school, where they sold cakes and sweets. This combined with a loan from their teacher provided the finances they needed to start their business.

Selling airtime has been a hugely successful part of their business. Learners buy and sell airtime for 10 Rand and sell it on for 12 Rand to teachers on credit. Their success lies in the fact that they sell on credit and often collect payment on teachers’ pay day. So far learners have been making on average 200-450 Rand a day (when operating during school days). The learners are involved in selling, stock taking, recording sales and calculating profit, so have gained many important skills. Their teacher explains that the learners are incredibly responsible and accountable, reporting back on their progress on a regular basis. The learners enjoy the school business because they are putting into practice what they have been learning in their business studies classes and have fun at the same time.

The enthusiastic and driven learners already have plans for future development of their business, hoping to open up to sell to the whole community, not just within the school. They have also considered how they will ensure the business is sustainable, with Grade 11 learners always training Grade 10, in order that they can successfully take over when the older learners leave.

Meet thewinners 2014

Hillcrest High School

School Business Type: Sporting Events Company

Winner of the best business plan

Northbury Park Secondary School

School Business Type: Solve IT Inc. Computer Training Programme

Winner of the best business idea

Runners Up 2014

St John Paul Secondary School

School Business Type: Vegetable Garden

Runner up in the best business plan category

Masijabule High School

School Business Type: Tuck Shop

Runner up in the best business plan category

Southlands School

School Business Type: Tuck Shop

Runner up in the business idea category

Western Agricultural College

School Business Type: Biltong (making and selling)

Runner up in the business idea category

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