These business bits are ready to zoom. (Photo: AfriForum Business Network/Facebook)
The AfriForum Business Network’s school entrepreneur competition, Business Bits, kicked off this year with a proper buzz and offered a seminar for eager, young entrepreneurs who want to spread their wings in the business world.
Nearly 70 prospective young businessmen and women attended this seminar where several speakers, including the entrepreneur Albert van Wyk, addressed them on entrepreneurship, mentoring, marketing and sales, and financial planning.
Since 2019, this competition has helped to give young future entrepreneurs a taste of the business world and this year is presented in collaboration with the private Afrikaans higher education institution, Akademia, and AfriForum’s youth leadership department.
Albert van Wyk gives the young entrepreneurs advice. (Photo: Philip Robinson/AfriForum)
Over the past few years it has expanded from only a primary school competition (Bumblebee category) to a competition where high school students (Juniorpreneurs category) can now also enter. This competition therefore rewards creative entrepreneurs of all ages.
“In the past we have often visited schools to raise awareness of our Business Bits competition, but this year we were very privileged to invite scholars to a seminar that adds value to their path as young entrepreneurs. Akademia made it easy and possible for us to present this seminar on their campus, while some of their lecturers also presented quality sessions,” says Sanderien van der Walt, manager of the AfriForum Business Network.
Sanderien van der Walt addresses the pupils. (Photo: Philip Robinson/AfriForum)
She goes on to say that teaching young adults to become entrepreneurs has never been more important than now.
“Entrepreneurs make an impact in their companies, communities, local economy and thus also the world, but entrepreneurship is not necessarily something that every person is born with. However, it is something that can be learned, shaped and ultimately developed. With the skills offered through this training session, we hope to cultivate young entrepreneurs who will serve and benefit their community in the future.”
As usual, there are big cash prizes up for grabs for the winners:
Category 1
Foundation Phase (grades 1–3)
Wenner: R3,000
Runner-up: R1 500
Category 2
Intersenphase (intermediate and senior phase) (grades 4–6)
Wenner: R5,000
Runner-up: R3 500
Category 3
Senior phase (grades 7–9)
Winner: R7 000
Runner-up: R5 000
Category 4
FET phase (further training and teaching phase) (grades 10–12)
Wenner: R10 000
Naaswenner: R7 000
- Entrepreneurs from across the country can enter this year’s Business Bits entrepreneur competition at businessbitjies.co.za up to and including 31 May 2023. The winner will be announced on 10 July 2023.
