Primestars empower youth business thinking
SANDTON – Primestars has merged its Smartbucks Mind Your Moola and Step Up 2 A Start Up initiatives to drive business thinking in youngsters.
Primestars’ Smartbucks (Mind your Moola) and Step Up 2 A Start Up initiatives on 22 August merged to launch its national youth empowerment initiative at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton.
The initiative, which aims to drive business and financial thinking, will explore life skills through various programmes and workshops.
Smartbucks Mind Your Moola is a financial programme while Step Up 2 A Start Up highlights entrepreneurial qualities.
According to Primestar founder and managing director Martin Sweet, attending both programmes will ensure that youngsters are equipped with the basic fundamentals of financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
“The South African education system needs to take giant leaps to provide learners with the opportunity to compete with their global counterparts,” Sweet said.
He noted that it remained imperative for new technology to be at the forefront of both programmes which is why Primestars have launched a mobile app.
“In this fast-evolving world, access to technology through mobile devices plays a critical role in lowering the barriers to entry, levelling the playing field and enabling innovative start-up to emerge,” Sweet added.
Also in attendance was Mzoxolo Maki, acting deputy director-general of the Department of Small Business Development, said small business development remained a priority for government. “The department, working [together] with the Department of Science and Innovation, came up with a programme called the small business and innovation fund.”
The fund is aimed at bridging the market gap for small, medium and micro-enterprises.
“By nurturing the entrepreneurial flair to our youth, we believe that we will be laying the solid foundations for the future of this country,” MTN South Africa foundation general manager Kusile Mtundzi-Hairwadzi added.
“We need the creativity, enthusiasm and energy of young people to move the country forward,” Sweet concluded.
Related articles:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/202897/smartbucks-programme-helps-over-90-000-children-become-financially-literate/
