A group of Mitchell’s Plain entrepreneurs have been given a boost after they attended a course run by the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA).
They graduated from the free six-month course, which was offered weekly at Portland indoor sports centre, on Tuesday October 22.
Sponsor, Walmart Foundation, had pledged its continued support to the #GrowYourBiz Initiative aimed at assisting entrepreneurs in retail and early childhood development (ECD) centre businesses in townships across South Africa.
They were chosen to complete the programme aimed at growing small businesses through business training and mentorship interventions.
Faiza Mallick, marketing manager for the EDA, said the programme was designed to equip small business owners to better manage their ventures and deal with the challenges.
She said township businesses were key to the economy and that it was important for entrepreneurs to be encouraged and assisted in order to overcome the myriad challenges they may face during their entrepreneurship journey.
Ms Mallick said the nationwide programme targeted entrepreneurs across South Africa.
“We specifically targeted Mitchell’s Plain as an under-resourced and thriving entrepreneurial community,” she said.
The #GrowYourBiz programme aims to offer real-life support that is practical and implementable to its participants including those who are stagnating or unsure whether they are doing the right things to optimally grow their businesses.