Umbumbulu learners kickstart their eco-friendly business
Their business idea won them R20K seed capital and a trip to New York.
THE three learners from Sibusisiwe Comp-Tech High School in Umbumbulu who won a national entrepreneurship competition in 2022 are juggling the challenges of running a business while completing matric.
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Tiffany Ogbonnaya, Zanele Khwela and Thulile Zikhali won the top spot in the Step-Up 2 A Green Start-Up competition for their business concept of using marula nuts as a fuel source. The Step-Up 2 A Green Start-Up boot camp saw 10 groups of finalists from high schools across the country working on their green business ideas, being drilled on some of the challenges they would face as business owners.
In February, the trio received the R20 000 start-up capital, which was one of the prizes they won, and they have been working to turn their idea into a viable, real-world business. In celebration of World Earth Day on April 22, the learners said they hope their environmentally friendly concept will inspire other learners to do the same. They also won a trip to New York which they will undertake later this year.
“Since we are in matric and have a workload of schoolwork, we must admit progress has been very slow since we did not have time. Matric is very demanding, especially in our school because we attend classes Monday to Sunday. But having little time is no excuse. Being an entrepreneur is demanding, and sacrifices have to be made to ensure our success,” said Tiffany.
The R20 000 prize capital has enabled them to start production and think about marketing the business.
Martin Sweet, the managing director of Primestars, the organisation that organises the competition, said Step-Up 2 A Green Start-Up is a programme that is transforming the landscape for young people in South Africa by cultivating a culture and mindset of entrepreneurship.
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