BY DELISA THWALA
MANZINI – Six young entrepreneurs walked away with a E10 000 startup capital each, during an MTN Yello Care regional business tour.
This gesture was motivated by this year’s Yello Care theme: ‘Empowering Entrepreneurship to Unlock Growth and Job Creation’.
The business tour for the Manzini region was held at the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS), marking the beginning of regional business tours which the MTN will be holding countrywide.
The tours are some of the activities that MTN will be doing in partnership with Junior Achievement during this year’s 21 Days of Yello Care Campaign.
16 entrepreneurs pitched different business ideas before a panel of judges from which the six were chosen as winners.
Business ventures presented included organic produce, waffles and ice cream, vending machines, piggery, fast foods, digital content creation and organic cosmetics.
The winners are Mlungisi Mdluli, Siphesihle Sacolo, Temlandvo Maziya, Samkelisiwe Matsebula, Temangweni Zwane and Siboniso Bhembe.
Speaking during the presentation, MTN CEO Wandile Mtshali said it is important to teach young people about business.
“For us as MTN, it’s important to see you grow and succeed in your businesses. We want to see young people being part of the bigger economy of the country,” he said.
Junior Achievement (JA) Executive Director Phetsile Masilela encouraged all the entrepreneurs to give it their best. She said there is never a dream that is too big to achieve.
The judges were Sabelo Dlamini, Patrick Musarambe, Bertha Sithole and Nathi Gule.
They graded the contestants on how they presented their product, the market potential, the People’s skills and experience and the predictability of the business model among other things.
Musarambe said it was encouraging to note that all the presented ideas were good and viable. The tours will be taking place throughout the 21 days of Yello Care, with the next one scheduled for today at Gobolondlo Hall in Piggs Peak. Five winners will be selected in each of the next three regions.
