Empowering the youth with entrepreneurial skillset

Preparing young people for the work environment and equipping them with skillsets to run businesses while they are still in school is proving to be beneficial to them and their communities. 

This is why more non-profit organisations such as Junior Achievement South Africa (JASA) are needed in the country to help fight against youth unemployment and poverty. 

JASA executive director Nelo Phindile Spies said the organisation was established in 1979 to empower South African youth with practical work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. 

“JASA provides South African youth with the skillset and mindset

 to build thriving communities. Our programmes are offered to primary and high school learners, as well as out of school youth. We target beneficiaries between the ages of eight and 35 years,” she explained. 

She said to date, more than 600 000 South African youth have benefitted from programmes offered by JASA. 

Ntwanano Rikhotso (22) of Soweto in Gauteng is among those who benefitted from the programme. 

In 2016, the organisation offered the Junior Enterprise Programme to learners at Lamula Jubilee Secondary School where Rikhotso was a grade 11 learner at the time. The programme ran for eight months. 

“The programme taught us about practical entrepreneurship skills. As part of the programme, we were required to form mini enterprises with a formal corporate setup and structure including a general manager, financial manager, production manager, etc. We identified products and services that we would sell or provide,” he explained. 

He added that they had to conduct market research with the guidance of the programme facilitator, and thereafter, they had to draft a business plan and present it in order to be successful. 

“JASA provided us funding to get off our business idea off the ground. Our company was called Smart Corporate Leaders and we sold personalised bracelets and necklaces.  The facilitator guided us throughout the process. We all played different roles in ensuring that the business was sustainable and functional,” he explained. 

Because a seed of entrepreneurship was planted in him at that tender age, Rikhotso also started a business of selling internet services to his fellow learners at the time by charging them R2 each to connect to his WiFi router.

He added that the company was also empowered with skills to attract investment into the business. Among other things, he learned learnt practical entrepreneurial and leadership skills. 

Rikhotso has since led over a dozen youth organisations and clubs in his community, and sat in various youth organisation boards, including the Google Developers Student Club at Wits university where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2022. 

While studying towards a degree in computer science, Rikhotso founded a software development business which he later developed into a business development firm called SNR  Solutions. 

“The company offers business technology solutions to small, medium and micro-enterprises and start-ups and we have so far created jobs for 10 young people,” he said.   

In 2023, JASA appointed him as the Alumni Chairperson and President.