Entrepreneurship @TSiBA

Sanlam/Business Partners 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year competition now open

2010-08-03T10:27:00.007+02:00

Entrepreneurship has become a vital source of income for many South Africans. For many it will be the tuck shop on the corner, a cake sale on the weekends or the street vendor looking to make some cash to tie him over. A creative idea and viable business plan, is something that many would like to have in place, but are not always bold enough to take that first step.

Well, Sanlam and Business Partners are now opening up a platform to encourage that first step from taking place with the Sanlam/Business Partners 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition. Starting a business is never easy, but with the right knowledge, education and support systems in place, anyone can make a business work if they have done the necessary research and planning.

These two organisations have teamed up to encourage entrepreneurship amongst South Africans, as they know that entrepreneurship is a source of job creation and future economical growth. So far Business Partners have received over 200 entries, which have really exceeded expectations of both organisations.

One of these entrants, Kevin Frankental, a partner of lemon.décor had the following advice to share for entrepreneurs: “The best advice I ever got was that it’s not only about building the ship, but about keeping the ship steady, and going in the right direction.”

So if you want to start building your ship, keep it steady and going in the direction of your retirement, and you eager to learn more about the competition, then visit www.eoy.co.za to find out more.

Remember competition closes on 31 August 2010.

Sources: ideate.co.za; Image Source: sanlam.co.za

Need help organizing the finances of your business?

2010-07-09T09:17:00.016+02:00

The Entrepreneurship Centre has recently made available a free, customizable financial administration template for Excel. This user-friendly template can assist businesses to keep track of their revenue and expenses by category, month, and by year.

The Summary sheet tracks net profit and total expenses by category for the entire year, and acts as a snapshot of how the business is doing.

To request an electronic copy of these templates, email mentor@tsiba.org.za or phone us at 021-532-2750 ext. 128

Generic invoice and quote templates are coming soon, stay tuned!

Micro-MBA hits Grand West!

2010-06-08T13:53:00.006+02:00

In its quest to contribute to economic and social development in the areas surrounding Grand West Casino and Entertainment World, the Grand West CSI division identified small enterprise businesses that it could partner with. This partnership aims to grow these businesses financially as well as to ensure their sustainability.

TSiBA Education was contracted to facilitate a micro-MBA workshop to some of these entrepreneurs. The workshop took place from 12-16 April and was attended by 18 small business owners.
Of all the modules covered during the workshop, Money Management was by far the most popular due to its practicality and simplicity. This was closely followed by Costing and Pricing which came as an “eye-opener” to most of the business owners. Other modules focused on Market Investigation; Using a calculator for business; Buying; Selling; Writing a Business Plan and Stock Control.
The initial 5-day workshop is followed up by 3 days of mentoring to ensure that the entrepreneurs apply what they have learnt in the classroom. The delegates from this workshop receive certificates of completion in July 2010.

TSiBA Education is proud of its association with Grand West CSI and will continue to support its objectives by delivering these much-needed skills development programmes.

Entrepreneurship develops at TSiBA Eden

2010-06-02T13:56:00.014+02:00

Last week some of us at the Entrepreneurship Centre visited TSiBA’s Eden campus in the Karatara village. In October of 2009, TSiBA Cape Town merged with the Eden campus, forming TSiBA Eden. The two schools share the same vision, and now share the same name as they hone the skills of eager students and aspiring entrepreneurs.

TSiBA Eden is a rural community green business and entrepreneurial college. The campus currently provides approximately 70 students from the surrounding community with a two year course in business and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on green enterprises. The curriculum includes water conservation, permaculture and environmental management components, and may soon develop an additional energy component.
The TSiBA – Northeastern University (NU) Field Study Programme is coming up again, and part of the programme is a week-long service project in rural South Africa for the 40 NU students. We visited Karatara to check out the local project options for the students, and left with many new ideas and friends. We also met many local entrepreneurs!

As a TSiBA student, running a business is part of your education. As a result, many students at Eden run their businesses right on campus, including a clothing and convenience shop, bakery, and vegetable garden. Local entrepreneurs set up shop on campus as well- the group of senior citizens below created and sold jewelry at the entrance to the auditorium.
The trip was a success and we are close to finding a service project for the NU students. Stay tuned for more updates as the field study programme approaches!

Afriversity/TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre Strategy Workshop

2010-06-02T10:49:00.000+02:00

On May 3rd Afriversity Cape Town, together with TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre hosted a free 3-hour Strategy Workshop where they focused on various aspects of growing small businesses in South Africa.

Afriversity Cape Town, is a not-for-profit organization, founded to train, support and provide incubation for promising Entrepreneurs.

The workshop focused on questions like:

1. What will your business look like 3 years from now.
2. What will you be doing to grow your business.
3. Do you have a clearly defined strategy to ensure growth and success or are you "flying blind" like so many business owners today?
4. Do you own your business or does the business own you?

The workshop was held at the TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre, where 25 Entrepreneurs attended. The purpose of the workshop was to develop and implement new strategies, that ensure growth and sustainability, and to assist the small business owners persist through the current global economic slow down.

The sessions were very interactive, and gaging from the responses we received from the entrepreneurs the workshop came at a critical time, because many of these entrepreneurs are at a crossroads with their businesses.

Here is just a few of the responses we received from the attendees:

1. WOW, this is great stuff we received here today, Thanks ones again for inviting me.
2. My business will greatly benefit from todays workshop, I'm so happy to be invited.
3. I wanted to give up, but after this workshop I have a new focus to grow my business, THANKS SO MUCH!!
4. I've gained such alot of insight today, please have more of these sessions we need this.

The TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre will stay committed to help entrepreneurs, and will continue to partner with other organizations like Afriversity to give our entrepreneurs the services they need in such a crucial time like these to help them stay afloat.

A big thank you to Brian Adams and his team from Afrivesity for the time they invested to help entrepreneurs achieve their goals!!

For more information on Afriversity go to their website or:
Contact Brian Adams on 021-418-0450
Email: brian @afriversity.org

Is 8 Enough for Silulo?

2010-05-10T13:48:00.016+02:00

On Friday, May 7th, Silulo Ulutho Technologies celebrated the opening of yet another internet café! Located in the Nonkqubela Link mall in Khayelitsha, this new branch brings Silulo's total number of branches to 8.

Silulo Ulutho Technologies was founded in 2004 by four passionate entrepreneurs: Luvuyo Rani (Managing Director and Financial Director), Lonwabo Rani (Operations Director), Sigqibo Phangabantu (Technical Director) and Nandipha Matshoba (Marketing Director). Silulo's objective is to expand the accessibility and fundamental knowledge of information technology in the Western Cape Townships. They came to TSiBA for mentoring in early 2008, and since then the company has grown from 10 employees at 1 location to 34 employees at 8 locations.

Many Khayelitsha residents have not had the opportunity to learn basic computer skills or technical training. Part of Silulo's success has been generated from tapping into this market, by offering training courses on basic computer skills, typing skills, Windows XP, Microsoft Office, and internet and e-mail usage.

Silulo's services don't stop there - the company is also involved in computer sales, maintenance, and professional services such as assistance with CV writing, printing, copying, and graphic design.

Silulo's opening day was a huge success, but it is one of many to come. Their future plans include 8-10 new branches - apparently, 8 is not enough for Silulo!

To learn more about Silulo Ulutho Technologies:

Visit their website , read our last blog about Silulo, visit their newest branch at the Nonkqubela Link Mall in Site B of Khayelitsha, or email the owners:

Luvuyo Rani - l.rani@webmail.co.za
Lonwabo Rani - lonwabo@silulo.co.za
Sigqibo Phangabantu - sigqibo@silulo.co.za
Nandipha Matshoba - matshoba@silulo.co.za

Entrepreneurship Curriculum off to a good start!

2010-05-10T13:29:00.006+02:00

This year TSiBA welcomed 110 promising students to its Foundation Programme in Business Administration. There was a great deal of excitement when Entrepreneurship, one of their major subjects, got underway.

Firstly, eight Facilitators were trained in January of which six are local TSiBA entrepreneurs. The fact that they have hands-on experience in the exciting world of entrepreneurship has certainly added a new flavour to the course.

Students attend a weekly 3-hour lecture where they compete against other teams in a small-business simulation. While much fun is had by all (including the facilitators), each module focuses on a critical aspect of business. This is all tied together by a full tutorial the following week.

Admittedly the most exciting and perhaps most beneficial part of the course is the Field Study programme. Two to three students living in close proximity to one another form a task team. They then approach a local entrepreneur who agrees to sponsor their learning in the field. They work closely with the entrepreneur and complete assignments based on the various learning areas of the curriculum.

Furthermore, students are expected to work with or for the entrepreneur as a means of ‘paying it forward’. So it is not uncommon to find our students packaging fruit, sweeping floors, shampooing hair, preparing flyers or selling wares.

The entrepreneurs, many of whom have very little schooling, are also excited about learning from the students. They are all registered at the Entrepreneurship Centre and enjoy access to the full spectrum of support services.

So the Entrepreneurship Curriculum is indeed off to a good start as we develop these aspiring entrepreneurs. For further information contact the Entrepreneurship Centre at 0215322750 X128.

TSiBA Entrepreneur Brings Expertise to Entrepreneurship Centre

2010-03-31T16:36:00.000+02:00

Here in the Entrepreneurship Centre we focus on helping up-and-coming entrepreneurs start and maintain successful businesses.We are able to provide such support because our own employees are successful entrepreneurs themselves!

On Saturday I visited the hair salon of our colleague, Sonja Hagins. Sonja is a 2009 graduate of TSiBA's Micro-MBA course and is now responsible for the day-to-day tasks at the Entrepreneurship Centre. Sonja took the position because although she runs a successful business, she likes the security of a full-time paid position. She now runs the Centre Monday through Friday and takes clients at her salon in the evenings and on Saturdays.

Sonja runs the salon out of her home in Strandfontein, where she has a whole section of the house dedicated to the business. Regular customers strolled in throughout the day while Sonja meticulously tended to them one at a time. Some customers waited up to an hour for her attention yet they continue to return week after week. The reason is because Sonja knows the value of quality customer service. Her customers know that when they walk in to Sonja's Hair Salon they are in good hands.

As a one-woman operation, Sonja's salon fits her needs perfectly. She has two styling stations, equipped with all the effects of a top-notch salon, along with a separate room with two washing sinks and an industrial hair dryer. She concentrated on one customer at a time in order to give them her full attention, although she uses the additional stations during extremely busy periods.

Most of the customers who passed through were coming for their weekly hair styling, although one woman came to get her hair cut. Regardless of the job, each customer sang Sonja's praises. Sonja say this is because she is a perfectionist. "I will not let someone leave my salon if I don't think they look good."

Xenophobia hits TSiBA Entrepreneur

2010-03-12T12:16:00.001+02:00

Mluleki Sinuku, the owner of Imile, designs and produces leather sandals, belts, bags and other accessories from his shipping container in Crossroads. That was up until early last week though. During the early hours of Monday the 01 March his container was burned to ground at the hands of arsonists. In the devastation he lost everything, including the 6x6 meter shipping container, custom made moulds, machinery, five months of stock, and all his raw materials. The case has been reported to the Crossroads Police who are currently conducting an investigation.

Although he is not sure who the culprits are, Mluleki believes this may be a case of xenophobia. As the 6x6 container was too large for his needs, last month he began to lease a section of the container to two Somalians, who were running a spaza shop out of the container and were sleeping inside at the time of the fire. Thankfully they escaped unharmed.

The staff from the Entrepreneurship Centre visited Mluleki on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by the fire. The container was still standing although sections of the walls were burnt out and the distinct smell of burnt remains lingered in the air. Considering the situation, however, we found Mluleki in good spirits.

Mluleki is now left with nothing, but he hopes to rebuild from scratch. Ideally he will begin producing out of Crossroads again but this time he would like to set up shop near the city centre, getting him closer to his customers. Aside from the increased traffic he would see from the local community, Mluleki expects to capitilize on the influx of tourists for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

It remains to be seen whether Mluleki will be able to rebuild Imile to its previous stature. If you would like to help Mluleki in any way, please contact the TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre or find his contact details below:

To Contact Mluleki
Phone: 078 156 0175
Email: msinuku@smartcape.org.za

Hospitality Industry embraces Entrepreneurship Development

2010-03-08T14:45:00.011+02:00

LBE Catering was started from Lungelo Masiza's modestly-equipped home kitchen in Khayelitsha back in 2006. As with any other emerging business, things were not easy and Lungelo went without a salary for over 2 years.

Under the mentorship of TSiBA Education, Lungelo soon realised that his passion for food was simply not enough! He needed to work towards attaining a qualification, something that was clearly beyond his reach!

It is at this point that TSiBA stepped in again, engaging it's extensive networks. Within 1 hour of doing so, the following opportunities were offered to Lungelo:

Cheryl Nisbitt, owner of Capsicum Culinary Studio in Pinelands generously agreed to offer Lungelo a bursary of R10 000 to enable him to study a City & Guilds Certificate in Professional Cookery. Upon successful completion of the certificate, Lungelo will be eligible to register for the Diploma in Professional Cookery. Both qualifications are internationally accredited. This would leave Lungelo with an outstanding balance of R6 000.

Then, after hearing Lungelo's story, FEDHASA's Carolyn Nevill agreed to pay 50% of Lungelo's outstanding fees, to the tune of R3 000!

Then the Table Bay Hotel in the Waterfront put the traditional cherry on top (pun intended) - they agreed to pay the full R3 000 balance of Lungelo's fees AND offered to sponsor his practical training in their world-class kitchens. Lungelo signed a 12-month contract as a Trainee Chef and dons his chef's attire with pride. The contract includes a number of benefits like a uniform allowance, meals, overtime, travelling, time off for classes ... and even a monthly salary of around R2000! Furthermore, the Table Bay Hotel appreciates that Lungelo wishes to continue running his business and have encouraged him to negotiate his shifts with them in order to do so. "We love to help people who are willing to go the extra mile and show initiative" says Christelle Horne, HR Manager for this prestigious hotel. Now there is even talk of Lungelo being offered an opportunity to train in Italy ... we will definitely keep you posted!

In retrospect, most of the credit needs to go to Tana Breytenbach, Group Development Manager of the renowned Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. When Tana heard Lungelo's story, she jumped into action and facilitated all of the above. Thank you, Tana.

"With a grandmother who owned a butchery and shebeen, a mom who sold fish and nowadays organises loans - and the funeral parlour on my dad's side of the family - the kids in the Masiza family like to develop themselves!" enthuses Lungelo. "We work for what we have and we don't ask for help from our families. Hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit is for us a part of life - it is in our veins!"

We wish you well, Lungelo and wherever you go, take the spirit of LBE Catering with you, bringing the world "traditional African cuisine with a modern twist".

Fraser Siteti Pays It Forward!

2010-03-08T14:12:00.003+02:00

You may remember Fraser Siteti, founder and director of Siteti Consulting Services CC (refer our Blog Post dated August 2009). Well, what was refered to then as 'book selling' has grown into something much bigger than what Fraser expected!

His registration as a verified/approved supplier to the Western Cape Government for various projects has proven to be very successful. When the first tender was awarded in July 2009, Fraser did not know where to turn as banks had denied him credit, while another government agency's loan offer did not make business sense. "TSiBA came to my rescue!" says Fraser, "Peter and Yolande facilitated the application for a bridging loan with the TSiBA Board of Directors. TSiBA gave me the loan ... I could not believe how lucky I was!"

Well, this tender was followed by another, and another, and another ...

Fraser is so thankful for the various opportunities he has been able to access through TSiBA that he "took the decision to get more involved with TSiBA's drive of 'Paying-It-Forward'". Earlier this year Fraser made himself available as a volunteer Facilitator where he co-facilitates Entrepreneurship for TSiBA Foundation Year students. Most recently he has also agreed to mentor a BBA first year student, Mawethu Mbanga.

Fraser wishes to encourage all readers to "pay-it-forward. There are many people who will cross your path and help you across life's hurdles. Never forget to show your gratitude because as you cross one hurdle, you approach the next one!"

Contact Fraser at 071 363 8911 or siteticonsulting@gmail.com

Tirama Pours First Concrete

2010-03-05T09:11:00.009+02:00

After two years, Tirama poured their first concrete at their work site in Khayelitsha. After securing an investment from Old Mutual of R50000 to produce vibracrete slabs for walls and fences, they used the funds to purchase a second hand cement mixer, vibrating table and cement moulds.

Tirama has had numerous requests for quotes, and finally this week secured their first sale. On Wednesday, the team from TSiBA's Entrepreneurship Centre visited Tirama and saw the guys hard at work in the hot sun mixing cement and filling the moulds.

Despite two years of struggling to get their business up and running, they remain very optimistic about moving forward and establishing themselves in Khayelitsha and the surrounding areas. After speaking to Sonwabo Rasimen, the MD of the company, they agreed that we would return in a year's time and see significant growth.

Congratulations to Tirama on their first sale, and their perseverance in keeping their dream alive! Contact Sonwabo Rasimen at 073 301 0952 or email rsonawabo@yahoo.com.

Northeastern Programme grows in popularity!

2010-02-17T17:33:00.000+02:00

In just two years, the TSiBA/Northeastern field study programme has become one of Northeastern University's (NU) flagship field study programmes ever. Applications for the 2010 field study programme closed on December 7, 2009. An overwhelming response from NU students interested in participating, forced NU to close the advertisement merely two weeks later.

Last year they weren't fully booked until May!

This is especially remarkable as 20 NU students participated in 2009, whereas 40 will visit us in 2010! Each NU student has to pay $8 738 (approximately R70 000) to participate.

A special thank you to everybody who has been involved! We look forward to welcoming the NU students in July this year. Visit http://www.northeastern.edu/oisp/step1/programs/short_term_facultyled/africa_field/ for more information.

Barcelona - Day 2

2009-11-25T23:53:00.003+02:00

My morning appointment was with Barcelona Activa and as I am in a hotel close by, the walk was brisk and fresh. It was good to be in the heart of 22@ and it is interesting to see how vibrant the streets are. There is activity everywhere as the area, which clearly was a strongly industrial part of town not too long ago, is being torn down and modern buildings are erected to house businesses like T Systems. There are at least two universities / training centres that I saw and a number of upmarket coffee shops etc. Architecturally the upliftment is done quite well in that some old "icons" are kept and deftly incorporated into the new modern structures.

The beach is a 15 minute walk away and beautiful with modern artworks popping up everywhere.

I was fully briefed on the model (like you all have) by Marc Sans, who works with Anna, Elena and Montse. He is very knowledgeable and so excited about their programme. What was interesting was to see how Spain's acceptance into the European Union boosted employment rates and economic growth. They have clearly developed models of support and integrate this carefully with training programmes and job placement programmes. About 40 people per day receive their introductory "brief" and in total 1500 companies are coached through the startup phase and 3 years beyond.

What I found interesting is that their incubator space, which currently houses 50 businesses, and I must say, is quite beautiful, has 10 full time coaches / advisors available at all times. Entrepreneurs are not assigned a specific mentor / advisor / coach, but simply "pop down" to speak to whoever is available. This is different to our TSiBA model, but interestingly so and potentially quite a useful way of transferring the onus of responsibility to the entrepreneur and "forcing" the entrepreneur to think clearly about what the question is and where to get the answer. Our model relies more on the building of individual mentoring relationships as we believe this is more needed at the early stages of a business. Who knows? Certainly interesting to consider alternatives.

My second visit was to "SURT" - Foundation for the integration of socially marginalised women. This group focusses more on integrating vulnerable women into the workplace and tuning in on the need for social services to be involved where necessary. Sex workers who want to change profession are also encouraged to join their re-training programmes as well as women over 45 (eek!!), "housewives", immigrants and women who might be highly qualified, but who need to reskill to be marketable.

What was impressive was their resources to do research - they have published several books and large works. They also have efficient connections with government and their seamless integration with other services is impressive.

Signing out until Colombia,

Barcelona - Day 1

2009-11-25T23:51:00.002+02:00

Arrived in Barcelona yesterday and was quickly introduced to Barcelona's most famous tourist detraction... pickpockets... in 3 seconds I was detracted and they were gone. Unfortunately for them they chose a South African to bully, so they had to saunter (yes saunter!) away empty handed. I always spread my important items throughout my luggage and booby trap them, so heh, they got nothing for their trouble and I got a few teaspoons of adrenaline coursing through my veins. Veins, I may add, that have up to now been saturated with the best cafe con leche's in the world. Man can these Spaniards make coffee!

I am situated in Barcelona 22@ and find the area very interesting. One can clearly see that the area used to be industrial and are now being revamped as we were told when Activa visited Cape Town in October. Unfortunately though, I am told that Spain suffered particularly badly in the financial crisis and here in 22@ in particular it is evident, as the property industry suffered the most.

Today I was hosted by an organisation called Trinijove (Trinitat + Youth). The director, Elizabeth Diaz introduced me to their programme and we went for a long walk through the neighbourhood. Trinitat is a very poor neighbourhood where unemployed is rife, drug dealing is commonplace, and a group of people live here at the terminal stages of AIDS (most infections here are from needle sharing). Motivation is low, education is poor and a number of gypsy families have illegally occupied buildings in the area. Most of their children either do not attend school at all, or attend erratically. Many of the youth are immigrants and although given residency permits - they are not given work permits!

Informally I picked up similar antagonistic views to "these foreigners who take our jobs"I was pleased to be able to look at the social services and support in this area. Trinijove supports the youth with training programmes like welding, cooking, cleaning and gardening. They help with placements and social reintegration. They also started a local radio station and have courses in social enterprise. Although I was not given specific statistics, they do anecdotally speak of successes in stimulating entrepreneurship. As in our own informal settlements, the initiatives remain small e.g. hiring oneself out as a painter, managing a group of ladies to clean houses or gardening.Trinijove gets half its funding from the government (and pays their students stipends akin to our learnership programmes) and supports itself with some income generating activities such as their successful recycling programme at the airport (employing mentally disabled staff)

The "La Caixa" (pron. kaiisha) "bank" was discussed, but I am still a little unsure how this differs from a "regular" bank.

That's me for now. Will blog tomorrow after meeting with Activa and a programme called "Fundacio Surt" dedicated to integrating vulnerable women into the economy.

Tirama Manufacturers secures investment from Old Mutual Properties

2009-11-17T09:44:00.001+02:00

In a major breakthrough for the three entrepreneurs of Tirama Manufacturers, Sonwabo Rasimen, the MD of the company, announced that it has secured a further investment of R50,000 from Old Mutual Properties in their quest to start up a concrete products manufacturing company in Khayelitsha.

The money is to be used to start a pilot production facility to obtain SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) approval for core products. This is a key milestone to earn credibility with potential customers. Old Mutual Properties has previously provided Tirama with financial support to develop their business plan together with TSiBA's Entrepreneurship Centre.

Off to look at several Activa's

2009-11-13T09:59:00.001+02:00

Following Peter's involvement in the "importing" of the Barcelona Activa model to Cape Town, I will be also have the privilege of seeing Barcelona Activa in action next week. I'll report soon on how this model was adapted in other coutries notably Colombia and Ecuador.

Congratulations to the two TSiBA Entrepreneurship students who received brand-new lap tops from Northeastern University!

2009-11-03T10:37:00.002+02:00

Prior to class discussion last Thursday, ENT-2 students settled down in their seats and waited for a lecture to begin. However, class was special on this day as visitors from the main office came into the classroom and joined the group. As the students began to look around with curiosity and anticipation, ENT-2 lecturer Peter Kraan appeared and was holding a box with “DELL” written on the side. The classroom was filled with intensity and two students in particular were glowing and radiant with smiles.

Last July, 20 students from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts collaborated with BBA-2 students at TSiBA for the purpose of engaging in a business consulting project. The students learned first hand about the obstacles entrepreneurs are faced with when starting and growing a business. The students worked one-on-one with their entrepreneur to overcome these problems by providing them with advice and resources that will promote growth in their business.

In addition, the students took trips to Robben Island, learned first hand about the dramatic effects of Apartheid, went biking to Cape Point and visited the Desmond Tutu HIV/AIDS Foundation. On weekdays, they gathered together in the TSiBA arena and listened to hero speakers. They also learned about each other’s different and varied cultures. In addition, they had the opportunity to be taught by Professor Dennis Shaughnessy from Northeastern University.

Near the end of the programme, the Northeastern students were presented with the opportunity to provide two TSiBA students with brand-new laptops. This was a token of appreciation for their dedication and commitment to the NEU/TSiBA Field Study Project. The Northeastern students had given a silent vote. By majority, Phumzile Fatyela and Charne Fortune were chose and honored to receive these special gifts.

Once again, congratulations to Pumzile and Charne and a special thank you to all the TSiBA and Northeastern students for making the Field Study Project a memorable one which will last a lifetime!

TSiBA Entrepreneurs raking it in!

2009-10-21T17:17:00.002+02:00

TSiBA mentored entrepreneurs are having a field day! After the news that Abus Hiring Services had won R15000, we heard today that Silulo Ulutho has won second place in the national SAB Kickstart competition. That's worth R150000 (yes, one hundred and fifty thousand rand). That brings total prize money won this year to R285000 by three different entrepreneurs, Silulo Ulutho, Aneliese Creations and Abus Hiring Services.

The SAB press release reads: Second prize of R150 000 went to the entrepreneurial brothers Lonwabo and Luvuyo Rani of Silulo Ulutho Technologies in Khayelitsha in Cape Town. Silulo Ulutho - which means “bringing value” - provides computer access, training, sales and repairs at seven centres and Internet cafes situated in in the underserviced markets of Khayelitsha and Gugulethu. The brothers – who see themselves as social entrepreneurs in terms of their impact on society, as well as businessmen, who do not lose focus on profit and return - currently employ a staff of 26 and train more than 340 students a month. They plan to franchise their operation around the country.

The full press release can be seen on http://www.sablimited.co.za/sablimited/view/sablimited/en/page62?oid=1611&sn=Detail

TSiBA Entrepreneur wins JET Community Award

2009-10-20T14:23:00.004+02:00

Mandla Khusela, owner of Abus Hiring Services, received a cheque for R15000 for winning the regional Vukuzenzele Young Entrepreneur Award in the 2009 JET Community Competition. The annual Jet Community Awards aim to reward those individuals or organisations working tirelessly to improve the lives of local families and community members.

The award coincides with Abus best month ever: Mandla beat his own targets and achieved a turnover of R18000 in September, well before the festive season starts! Thanks to a generous donation by the Dell Foundation, we have been able to mentor Mandla for the last 12 months.

Mandla is very excited about this award and he is planning to plow the proceeds back into the company and buy new equipment for his business.

Planning a party? Abus specializes in kiddies parties: Jumping castles, slides, fun rides, tables and chairs and more. Need a clown? Catering equipment? Includes delivery. Contact Mandla Khusela at 073 251-3119 or email info@abuhiringservices.co.za.

Grand West CSI Women’s Day

2009-09-16T14:58:00.004+02:00

In celebration of Women’s Day, Grand West CSI hosted an Exhibition at Grand West Casino in Goodwood on Friday 7 August.

A number of TSiBA Entrepreneurs showcased their skills and knowledge with other emerging women in the Small and Medium Enterprise industry. They also benefited from over 3000 visitors to the exhibition and took advantage of the opportunity to advertise and sell their products and services. The exhibition also gave them the opportunity to network with other emerging business people as well as with the Grand West CSI team.

The day was extremely festive with fun events, live entertainment, guest speakers (including TSiBA Education) and spot prizes. Grand West CSI judges visited each stand to determine the winners of three cash prizes: R15 000; R10 000 and R5 000.

And the second prize of R10 000 was awarded to our very own Evelyn Mbenyane, owner of Anelisa Creations. Evelyn’s sewing company has been housed in the garage at the TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre since March 2007. It is from this site that she manufactures her products and runs her business under the guidance and support of the Entrepreneurship Centre. This year Evelyn completed the Micro-MBA training programme at TSiBA that assisted her in taking her business to another level. She plans to invest the prize money in her business. Contact Evelyn Mbenyane at 0835965208.

Other TSiBA exhibitors included MP Solutions (Design and Printing of Business Cards, Brochures, etc. – Rochelle Swartz 0785343309); Coiffure “M” Hairsalon (Professional Hairstylist – Tersia Kearns 0733592034); Mhani Gingi Social Network (hand-crafted products made by local women using recycled materials – Lilian Masebenza 0824654687) and Sithabe African Crafts (exquisite hand-crafted Nguni beaded items – Mathokoza Nhlapo http://www.sithabecrafts.co.za/)

This Women’s Day exhibition also served as the platform for TSiBA to enter into a meaningful relationship with Grand West CSI due to the visible synergies between the two institutions. We look forward to their continued involvement and support.

BBA-2 Student at TSiBA Enters the World of Entrepreneurship

2009-09-16T10:38:00.006+02:00

Nqobile Bhengu, a dedicated BBA – 2 student at TSiBA, has put her management and creativity skills into action by starting her own business in designing personalized cards. She started the company with two other members, and faced a challenge almost immediately after formulating a business plan. The two original members left the group and Nqobile was then faced with her biggest obstacle: Does she join her competitors, who consist of 6 members, and share their passion, or does she continue to follow her own passion and carry on the business alone? With much thought and discussion amongst herself and the competition, she decided to stick with her gut and take on her business by herself, under the name Design4U. Nqobile has been chugging through the process of starting a business by creating cards to sample her work, building financial models to track sales and profits, and by networking with other professionals in the industry. She knew that her product was something that people really appreciated, and this was evident when she made her first sale back in May. Nqobile’s personalized cards are unique in that she works one-on-one with her customers to create a card that caters to their liking. Her customer will then have a chance to write their own personal note or greeting which is then printed on beautiful hand-made paper. “I named the company ‘Design4U’ because it tells the customer what I do. I design personalized cards specifically for my customer.” – Nqobile Bhengu

Today, you may find Nqobile in the Entrepreneurship Centre making calls or writing e-mails to potential customers, or working with her mentor who has experience in this particular field. Nqobile’s passion and dedication to her business is sparking much interest among her network of supporters. She has had three personal and independent investors who also believe in her and the business to the point where they are willing to help fund her venture. Nqobile has found a hobby that she enjoys doing and then turned it into a business by first discovering the market potential for her product and service. This, along with her self-discipline and motivation will be the factors that will contribute to the success of her own business that started here, at TSiBA.

Silulo Ulutho Opens in Charlesville Mall

2009-08-16T20:46:00.005+02:00

This Saturday, August 15, Silulo Ulutho opened the doors of its fifth location, Charlesville Mall in Gugulethu, and its first outside of Khayelitsha.

Among many other guests, members of Parliament were there, SAB Breweries, and Vodacom. Silulo's unrelenting pace is astounding. They now count 24 employees and a yearly turnover of over R3.5 million. For once, I'm speechless...

Your Home Away From Home

2009-08-07T13:45:00.002+02:00

Written by: Zakiyah Toefy, Nicole Russell and Manuel Kirkwood

Nurjehan Singh, proud owner of 41 On Cedar Bed and Breakfast realized her dream after working in the corporate environment for 15 years. Following a traumatic setback in 1995, Nurjehan spent the next five years planning her business. Being a people’s person and wanting to pursue a business in the hospitality/ tourism industry, 41 On Cedar was officially established in March 2007. It has since hosted accommodation to companies like Cola SA, Hydra Marine, SOS Children’s Village and was also contracted to FIFA for the 2010 World Cup.

Recently 41 On Cedar Bed and Breakfast was involved in the TSiBA/ Northeastern University (NEU) Field Study program where students from TSiBA and NEU combined their diverse knowledge and skills to assist Nurjehan on how to run her business more efficiently and effectively.

Our group visited the bed and breakfast and was astounded to see what a great place Nurjehan had. After that, we were so enthused to get to work.

This cosy, home away from home bed and breakfast hosts accommodation solutions for short, medium and long term stays.

Centrally located, this abode is just minutes away from Grand West Casino, Canal Walk Shopping Centre, N1 City Mall, Howard Centre, Cape Town CBD and many more.

Some of the facilities available include a single bedroom, double bedroom, twin bedroom and self catering cottage.

Breakfast is served daily between 7-10 am.

Supper can be supplied upon request as well as a shuttle service which will be charged additionally.

41 On Cedar is strictly Halaal and does not allow alcohol on the premises.

To contact Nurjehan (Nora) Singh:
Tel: 021 531 6223
Cell: 072 310 1338
Fax: 086 546 7553
E-mail: info@41oncedar.co.za
Website: http://www.41oncedar.co.za/

Consulting With a Cause

2009-08-06T15:25:00.001+02:00

Written by: Naseebah Souma, Asanda Panda and Marvin Stoffels

Siteti Consulting is a consulting business owned by Fraser Siteti. One of the main focuses of Siteti Consulting is to help upcoming entrepreneurs with their start up businesses within the surrounding areas. Siteti Consulting is situated in Khayelitsha, (Greenpoint) and is functional from Mr. Siteti’s house. The consulting business has been in operation since 2006. Mr. Siteti, who was a school teacher for 15 years, has a B.Com from Vista University and a Secondary Teacher’s Diploma from Mxenge College of Education. He has a passion for training and teaching others. Some of the clients that Siteti Consulting has include, Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) Project and Radio Zibonele.

Mr. Siteti has been financing his business by offering other services such as book selling and cleaning services. The book selling and cleaning services businesses was started by Mr. Fraser because he needed collateral after being denied by several banks for not having the required security.

Our project was based on helping Mr. Siteti with his marketing material and creating networks other than the ones Mr. Siteti already had to keep the business sustainable. Our project group consisted of four members namely, Stephanie, Michaela, Asanda and Marvin. We helped Mr. Siteti’s consulting business by creating brochures, coming up with better ways to improve his client base, lining him up with potential partners and revising his business plan for his consulting business.

Special thanks to Mr. Siteti for having us help him with his dream and all the team members for making this project a success.

If you want to contact Fraser Siteti:
Mobile: 084 626 7914
E-mail: frasermzukisi@yahoo.com

Mhani Gingi Micro-Finance

2009-08-05T09:00:00.001+02:00

Written by: Fatima Vinoos, Shivon Jacobs and Shakeel Hashim

We would like to tell you more about a remarkable woman named Lillian Masebenza. She is the CEO and founder of Mhani Gingi Entrepreneurial Networks and is a living embodiment and agent of her vision for an empowered Africa. She sees her company becoming a renowned leader in providing innovative solutions and business opportunities aimed at alleviating poverty within the global society.

Lillian has a soft spot for impoverished youth and women in her surrounding communities. She would do anything in her power to help those in need. She is also an Ashoka Fellow and is connected with many other institutions with the same values as Mhani Gingi.

Lillian is now in the process of opening a micro-finance institution to help the youth and women in the impoverished communities to start up their own businesses. The loans will be made using social collateral because those who are going to apply for the finances are people without any assets to use as collateral at banks. For the past three weeks we have been helping her to set up the framework for this institution.

Mhani Gingi is a good network to belong to as all the businesses under the Mhani Gingi umbrella work together to help each other get business. They focus on the power of the collective and work hand in hand with one another which contribute to everyones success.

It was a pleasure meeting and working with her because it was clear to us as a group that her intentions were purely to help uplift the lives of others. We will definitely be keeping in contact with her and have offered our help to her in any way that she may need us in future. If you feel that you want to be a part of this network, contact Lillian for more information.

Lillian Masebenza
Tel: 021 532 2750
Cell: 082 465 4687
Email: nlrestio@telkomsa.net

17 CJ Langenhoven St.
Parow North
Cape Town
8000

Comida Catering and Their Amazing Cakes

2009-08-04T09:51:00.003+02:00

Written by: Nodumo Kuse and Natheema Abbas

Comida Catering is a company that specializes in confectionary and assorted cooking that will take your breath away!! The owner and head chef is Jose Joao; he has a blazing passion for confectionary and cooking and has been putting his skills to the test professionally for five years. The business is located Cape Town, South Africa. Jose employs quite an enthusiastic group of women of which one of them is his wife while the other two are qualified, experienced cooks.

Comida Catering caters for any event, from formal occasions such as weddings, corporate functions to more casual events like birthday parties, braais etc. Whatever the event, our qualified function chef and experienced staff are on hand to make your occasion a memorable one. Let Jose Joao take care of the catering while you enjoy the company of friends or colleagues.

My classmate and I, along with two Northeastern University students were given the privilege to consult his business for our project. It was a wonderful experience because we got to see him in action. He showed us the whole process of making his scrumptious, delicious cakes. Jose has a passion for the art of confectionary.

Some of our favorite cakes that Jose specializes in are chocolate mousse, black forest cake, florentine cake and butter cream cakes.

If you want your event to go smoothly and have a memorable event no one will forget, contact Jose at:

Jose and Teresa Joao
Tel: 073 245 3407
Email: info@comidacatering.co.za

YEP! Clan

2009-08-03T12:18:00.003+02:00

Written by: Charne Fortune, Samantha Pieterse, Phumzile Fatyela and Sizwe Matoti

YEP! Clan (Youth Empowerment Project) is a young dynamic structure within the community of Khayelitsha, using diversified ways of encouraging active participation for young people through community development programs.

As part of our Social Entrepreneurship field study we had an opportunity to consult this organization. We (three TSiBA and two Northeastern University students), worked in collaboration to ensure that YEP Clan in future can move from being solely dependant on donations to being a sustainable business. We were educated about the programs that they use to “replace negativity with activities”, as they say. These programs are Cycling, Greening Young Minds, Pride of Hope and Life Skills Workshop.

Earlier this year YEP Clan took 15 boys from Khayelitsha to participate in the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycling Tour for the first time. All of them completed it successfully.

Greening Young Minds is a program that takes young people to the wilderness so that they can gain exposure to a different environment than what they are used to. This also equips them with the necessary knowledge to ensure that they are aware of the environment and how they can protect it.

Pride of Hope ensures that the youth goes to other organizations and impart their learnings by spending time with children in orphanages.

The life skills workshop deals with the issues that the youth are being faced with and creates a platform for them to voice their opinions and learn from one another.

If you think you can contribute to a specific program or the organization as a whole, we would love to get in contact with you to discuss your involvement with the organization. If you are ready to contribute in any form of a donation, feel free to contact the following person directly via the information below.

Sizwe Matoti

Managing Director, YEP! Clan

076 394 9006

http://www.yepclan.weebly.com/

ProTeam SA Website Launched!

2009-07-30T09:24:00.003+02:00

My friends and I recently had the privilege of taking a township tour through Langa Township led by MC Mgobozi.

MC was introduced in a previous blog entry as the owner of ProTeam SA, so I won't go into too much detail. The basics of it is that his company runs township tours as well as corporate team building activities.

Our tour was amazing and completely customized. We went on a Sunday, and MC took us to his church where we were introduced in front of the congregation.

While the tour was phenomenal, the real reason for this blog was to announce the creation of MC's website.

http://www.proteamsa.co.za/ is live!!

Check it out and tell all your friends.

If you want to contact MC, all his information is located there.

The Entrepreneurship Centre works for you!

2009-07-15T10:39:00.004+02:00

It is always great when you see hard work is paying off.

Today, one of the Entrepreneurship Centre's clients found out. His name is Simpihwe Ntshayi (aka TaSimpra), a young photographer from Makhaza, Khayelitsha. Instead of living from street photography he decided to focus on more specialised services like wedding & children photography, lamination and CV-building. We spent quite some hours working on target markets, costing and financial planning. The main challenge was the gathering of all the information needed to make a sound business plan, the main advantage in making things happen was the large network of contacts TaSimpra has built throughout the years.

First of all, he managed to get a loan from Africa Jam which enabled him to purchase a computer from Silulo Ulutho Technologies. In that way he is able to offer more advanced services. Secondly, he was able to obtain sponsorship from Nikon to get a state-of-art camera. The recently launched Nikon D500 that TaSimpra will receive this week has a retail price of R 7000. I believe this speaks for itself!

For enhanced photography jobs you can phone TaSimpra on 0825828936.

2009-06-18T10:55:00.004+02:00

"Not everyone who chased the zebra caught it, but he who caught it chased it."

--South African Proverb

I know the purpose of this blog is mainly meant to talk about the entrepreneurs we help and how they are working hard to become successful.

But what about us? What about all the behind the scenes work that most people have no idea about. What about the centre?

The TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre was founded in January 2007 as part of TSiBA Education to provide entrepreneurs a place to plan, develop and grow their businesses.

Successful economies are built on small to medium-sized enterprises. Lack of resources and insufficient managerial talent has hindered the growth of these in South Africa. According to the 2008 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey, South Africa only has a new business prevalence rate of 2.1 percent which ranks it 38th out of 43 countries meaning that only 2.1 percent of new businesses survive. The TSiBA Entrepreneurship Centre has created a hands-on operational assistance method including very practical skills development programme and one-on-one mentorship to solve these problems.

All entrepreneurs that go through our programme will learn how to develop their skills, create jobs for others through their businesses, become sustainable and have a positive social impact in their community. When the entrepreneurs leave our centre, they are self-sustainable and have the tools to successfully maintain and grow their businesses.

The work at the Centre is also a cornerstone of the entrepreneurship curriculum at TSiBA Education: the case studies developed at the Centre are used in the classroom and the Centre provides our students with an opportunity to cut their teeth at helping to run real businesses.

In our first two years, we have served over 100 small businesses in the surrounding communities since our founding and currently house four of those in our facilities.

So what does all that mean?

From my very brief time here so far, let me give you a few of my insights.

The centre isn’t just about helping businesses. That’s a huge misconception that I had when I came here. The centre is about helping people. Obviously those people must have a business, but it is more complex than that. If people need help with building their confidence, the centre will coach them with that. If they need help figuring out how to use a computer, we’re ready to show them. Even if it’s something as seemingly simple as the person has had a hard business week and needs to vent, we have open ears.

Each of the staff members in the centre deeply cares about the entrepreneurs that come through the centre and want to succeed with the necessary hard work. The centre is not just a place that says they are here for the people, they really are.

I feel like my eyes have been opened so widely by the entrepreneurs and staff here. There is so much determination and drive behind everyone that it makes me question myself.

You have to be willing to work extremely hard to be successful at the centre. You also must have the right attitude because without that, you will never succeed. But if you’re willing, the centre has the tools, determination, and compassion to help your business.

Iziko lo Lwazi

2009-06-04T11:25:00.012+02:00

I had the honor of visiting Iziko lo Lwazi a week ago to prepare for the Northeastern Project with Peter and Johan.

Iziko lo Lwazi is a non-profit organization that helps women from the nearby informal settlement Imizamo Yetho earn money while learning. It started as an adult literacy program that offered free English lessons but has now grown into a business that helps empower women.

The company decided to help the women earn money through paper making. They have now expanded into cards, beadwork, and other gifts.

Johan and I had the privilege of watching paper being made (a beautiful shade of pink) and received a cool explanation about different materials that can be used in the process.

Did you know that paper can be made out of rooibos tea, seaweed, or dung from horses, camels, or elephants? Neither did I. Each material gives the paper a different look and feel. It can also be dyed any colour under the sun and would go beautifully in any scrapbook or journal.

We then were shown where the women do the beadwork. I'm not that crafty with my hands, and I was amazed at what all the women can make. We saw a coin purse, key chains, and pins being made among other things.

Then we moved on to the trailer where English classes are taught. Training is also given to the women about business skills, product development, and marketing.

We finally ended up in the store. I couldn't resist myself and bought the most beautiful beaded necklace that I'm saving for a special occasion. I also bought some cards with wired animals on them. Later that day when I showed them to my friends, they begged me to go back and buy some for them.

Eventually, Iziko lo Lwazi would like for the 12-16 women that work there to take over the running of the business. I left with a sense of hope and excitement for the company. You can't help but feel it when you're there.

If you're interested in assisting the business financially or through funding, or if you just want to buy some of their amazing products, you can e-mail them at izikoll@gmail.com. You can also visit their website at http://www.izikoll.co.za/ or call administrator Fezeka Dyani at 021 790 2273 or 084 580 8684.

TSiBA's 5th Birthday Supports Local Entrepreneurs

2009-06-01T09:26:00.014+02:00

On Friday, May 22nd, TSiBA Education celebrated its fifth birthday party. The party included a ceremony, a clown, DJs, and local entrepreneurs from the entrepreneurship centre.

Abu’s Hiring Services and Comida Catering provided their services to help make the big day special.

Abu’s Hiring Services is a business that provides assets like cutlery, furniture and kids entertainment. It was started in 2006 and is run by Mandle and Zoleka Khusela.

For the birthday party, they provided the clown, and the jumping castle. The kids couldn’t get enough of them! They also provided the chairs and the tent where the ceremony was held.

Comida Catering is another local business that assisted in making the birthday memorable. The company currently does the catering for TSiBA Education in the canteen and provides wonderful food every day. It is owned by Jose and Teresa Joao.

Comida provided the beautiful cupcakes that spelled out TSiBA and had the number five on them in honor of the birthday. They also provided other delicious finger food. All the goodies were gone in minutes.

The ceremony went on without a hitch and was made even more memorable by supporting TSiBA entrepreneurs.

If you want to contact Abu’s Hiring Services, you can call them at 021 361 2775 or 073 251 3119 (mobile). Or you can send them an e-mail at info@abuhiringservices.co.za.

To contact Comida Catering, you can call them at 073 245 3407 or 021 532 2750 x113 (business). Or you can e-mail them at info@comidacatering.co.za.

Next Gucci in South Africa?

2009-04-22T17:28:00.011+02:00

Will the next Gucci come from South Africa? Not a doubt, according to Mluleki, maker of sandals, bags and belts from Crossroads in Cape Town (below right). And he is going to extraordinary lengths to achieve that goal. After completing our micro-MBA course in February, he realized he was getting nowhere selling his products from his container in a quiet street in the township of Crossroads. No traffic, no sales.

But Mluleki does know his struggle history, and was aware that two youngsters, Mabhuti Fatman and Goodman Mali, had been shot and killed by security police in October 1985 next to his container. The Human Rights Media Centre got involved, a book was written (see this link for more information), and, recently, a graphical artist and a wood sculptor commissioned to design a simple memorial to the slain men. The container was repainted with a detailed description in Xhosa of the events, a sculpture erected and a gravestone carved into the trees where they were slain.

Now that the site is finished, tour operators are being approached to make this a stop on their tour of the townships. The first group of Norwegians were very impressed by this simple but very elegant memorial site!

Micro - MBA Follow Up Session

2009-04-17T14:14:00.007+02:00

One and a half months ago, the Entrepreneurship Centre conducted its first Micro- MBA workshop. The week long program aided 21 develop and grow their businesses by providing valuable business training. Unfortunately, in any workshop there is always a gap between acquiring knowledge and putting it to actual use. To bridge this gap, the Entrepreneurship Centre ran the first of three Micro - MBA follow up sessions on April 7th. The purpose of theses follow up sessions is to ensure that the entrepreneurs’ businesses continue to grow, that they use the skills learned from the original workshop, and also build upon them.

The session began with many familiar face, smiles, and pats on the back as participants chatted about what has been happening since the last workshop. After exchanging pleasantries, the entrepreneurs gave speeches, detailing the obstacles and successes they have experienced in their business since the Micro – MBA. Various other exercises were conducted throughout the session including group brainstorming on why some small businesses fail and why others succeed. We also had a brief ceremony in which participants were given their Micro – MBA certificates.

To finish off the half day session, the group was given assignments for the month ahead to ensure that their skills developed in the Micro – MBA would be put to good use. Overall the session went quite well, and the participants had quite a lot to say. They even went so far as to write to us about how the course has affected them.

I am really happy that I took the opportunity to study about business at Tsiba in the Micro - MBA.

I gained knowledge on a lot of things like how to start a business, how to keep the customers you already have, how to keep the business booming, how to get the business well known among the people, and how to calculate the cost of sales and selling prices.

I also got friends that I can contact when I need assistance and advice.

-Nongqele Kalashe

What I have achieved from the Micro MBA course is how to price and add my markup, how to keep my books in order and balancing, how to create a marketing plan and how improve my purchasing strategy.

After the course I developed a marketing plan and orders have started to come in. I am busy processing many orders these days. Thanks to the Micro MBA course I was able to add value to my business.

-Evelyn Mbenyane

Through my encounter with TSiBA I have found the right attitude in dealing with my customers by reading in minute detail possibilities for potential customers. I learned how to tell apart the buyers from the window-shoppers. I found business should not be isolated within the notion of merely closing a sale. Instead it is important to realize an opportunity to build sustainable relationships with each customer.

-Mluleki Sinuku

Day 3 of MIT Start-up Workshop

2009-03-29T17:40:00.013+02:00

After yesterday's action-packed day, I was prepared for a relaxing Friday. Jessica Jackley Flannery shattered my hopes immediately and completely. She told another improbable story: how a few friends, making a few loans of a couple of dollars each, helping a few farmers in Uganda, grew within the space of a few years to kiva.org, an international community of 470,000 lenders providing US$ 65,000,000 in loans to 95,000 entrepreneurs. The recovery rate of these loans is an amazing 98% with interest rates about 10% below the norm for most micro-finance programs. Go to www.kiva.org to learn more and become a lender yourself.

What strikes me again and again listening to stories of Jessica and Alicia yesterday (pictured below), is how improbable they sound and how they rely more on character, grit and determination than on anything we can teach in an Entrepreneurship class.

What is especially heartening is that many of these very modern success stories are being told by women. In fact, a decade or so ago, a conference like this would have attracted very few women. Today, almost half of the participants were female. In fact, if you leave out the age groups north of 40, I would wager that women were in the majority. In entrepreneurship, the glass ceiling has not only shattered, it has disappeared completely!

And then there was William Kamkwamba from Malawi. His story is so unbelievable, all I'm going to provide you with is a link to YouTube: Moving Windmills. Who said there was no entrepreneurial spirit in Africa?

And so ends a magnificent three day event. There was a lot of networking going on. I'm especially pleased that South African organisations pitched up in great numbers. Richard Branson School of Entrepreneurship, Raizcorp, SEDA, DTI, Wits Business School, the City of Cape Town, the Bandwidth Barn, TSiBA of course, and just about anyone who is anyone in SA entrepreneurship was there.

Day 2 of MIT Start-up Workshop

2009-03-28T19:00:00.008+02:00

Wow! What a day! Almost every event was superlative.

A session on Entrepreneurship Support Structures was highly relevant to our work at the Entrepreneurship Centre. It started with a very provocative question and one I continually grapple with at TSiBA: how on earth can a non-profit organization (university, incubator, government agency) teach entrepreneurs to make a profit? Can a non-profit truly produce the aggressive tigers that thrive in the market place or do they produce tame lions that die once they are let out into the wild? A troubling question with no easy answer...

Another highlight was Mansoor Mohamed (pictured above), Executive Director for Economic, Social Development and Tourism of the City of Cape Town, whom Leigh and I had just met in his office last week. He gave a compelling overview of the steps that the City is taking to foster entrepreneurship and innovation. One of his pet projects is an innovation hub, an area of about 10 hectares; where organisations in the entrepreneurship space will be housed together to create synergies and economic opportunities beyond their individual potential. One of these is a well-known provider of a tertiary degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership. :-) A serial entrepreneur himself, it is heartening to see a dynamic business person like Mansoor in such an influential position within city management.

And just when we thought it couldn't get much better, Alicia Polak, an ex-investment banker who left Merrill Lynch well before their demise, told her story of starting Khaya Cookies, a very profitable venture targeting unemployable women from Khayelitsha to produce high-quality cookies both for local consumption and for export to the United States.

The icing of the cake goes to Cebisa, who entered the Elevator Pitch Competition. He did really well, and tomorrow we will learn whether he can go through to the finals. "I have never been so nervous in all my life", a visibly relieved Cebisa confided to me after the event.

And just as we were completely exhausted, the Managing Director of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center, Kenneth P. Morse, pulled off an entrepreneurial show of epic dimensions. Whatever I try to say about his performance, you wouldn’t believe it. So I won’t even go there…

Day 1 of MIT Start-up Workshop

2009-03-25T20:54:00.004+02:00

Cebisa and I are attending a three-day workshop on Business Start-ups (http://www.mitgsw.org/) organized by MIT and the WITS Business School. We are being sponsored by the McCoombs School of Business of the University of Texas (thanks David!). The day started of with a riveting keynote address by Euvin Naidoo of WITS. Later, there was an excellent panel discussion by university students that started their own businesses while they were still studying, something we have often discussed at TSiBA. Tomorrow has several highlights, but I will especially be following Cebisa in the Elevator Pitch Competition! Between sessions, there is a lot of networking going on and Cebisa certainly works the crowd.

L'Oreal likes our Micro-MBA students

2009-03-25T09:18:00.006+02:00

There is nothing better than walking on the streets after you had a fresh haircut. Yesterday was one of those fresh-hair days. Bart and I went to Tersia, our new hairdresser. Tersia worked over ten years in the Sheraton Hotel (it is the Westin Grand now), but now she works from home in Thornton, only 5 minutes from our campus.

In February, she participated in our very first Micro-MBA course. What did she get from it? "I used to hope for the best each day," she said, "but now I am actually able to run my business effectively and can predict my numbers." Tersia learned about marketing and marketing research, resulting in a 40% boost in clients. She specialises in upscale service (a nice head massage and very smart advice), and is always ready to give you a new look.

We were not the only ones impressed by Tersia's skills. Recently she struck a deal with L'Oreal, the French cosmetics giant (they employ 63 000 people) as advertised by the beautiful Penelope Cruz.

If you think you fancy a great new haircut, you can reach Tersia at the following numbers: (021) 532-3366 and 073 3590234.

Letterpress at Design Indaba

2009-03-23T19:31:00.010+02:00

I have always loved the work of Anton and Gitanjali at The Letterpress Company. But their newest creation has surpassed my wildest dreams. A stunning series of cards depicting indigenous South African trees. These were a highlight of this year's Design Indaba.

Here is what Gitanjali had to say: Design Indaba Expo showcases the cream of SA design in various disciplines. One of our popular products, which received lots of attention at the Expo, was a boxed set of large folded cards featuring indigenous trees of southern Africa. Created using earth-friendly and tree-free papers and hand-operated printing equipment, our artisan stationery will soon be exported as there was interest from Japan, France and the UK. Visit our website for more details - www.theletterpresscompany.co.za.

Mzoli in the news

2009-03-19T10:54:00.002+02:00

Finally, an article in the mainstream media that “gets” what’s going on in the townships of Cape Town and reports on it objectively.

Silulo Ulutho Strikes Again!

2009-03-17T12:13:00.004+02:00

On Friday, March 13, Silulo Ulutho Technologies celebrated the launch of a partnership with the City of Cape Town and with Microsoft South Africa that will make technology access more affordable for businesses and residents of Khayelitsha. And make some money for Silulo in the process through preferential pricing from Microsoft...

The keynote speakers were Helen Zille, Mayor of Cape Town, and Mteto Nyati, General Manager of Microsoft South Africa, pictured above with Luvuyo Rani, Silulo's MD. Our Entrepreneurship Centre has been mentoring these 4 young and dynamic local entrepreneurs since early 2008 and this is yet another milestone in their record of fabulous achievements.

Meet MC!

2009-03-06T09:47:00.008+02:00

As our portfolio is getting larger and larger, we decided to present some of our entrepreneurs and their companies from time to time.

This week we would like you to meet with Lizo MC Mgobozi, owner of ProTeam SA. Born and raised in the Langa Township he knows the place like the back of his hand. He likes it so much he started to lead guests around. For starters, he will take you to the traditional healer/pharmacist who cures you by using plants and animal parts followed by a stop at the famed Langa Hostels, a must for anyone who is interested in South-Africa's history. Next you can find if local brews are to your likeing in an African Beer House, where you can try umqombothi, a traditional Xhosa beer. If you're feeling adventurous, you can sample Smiley, a Township treat. MC also customizes his tours upon request. His Township Experience Tours are perfect for people who wish to develope an acurate understanding of the townships as well as interact with the locals.

MC has been a tour guide for11 years. Recently he decided to take his business to a new level and obtained his official tourist guide certificate from Theta, the Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority. This means that soon you will find his brochures at your local hotel or tourist office! He is also currently working on launching a website (we'll let you know when the site will be ready).

MC also offers corporate and team building activities. He has worked with the local Department for Water and Forestry, the US Northwestern University, and many South African schools just to name a few.

For more information, feel free to contact MC and his company ProTeamSA:

Lizo MC Mgobozi

60 Sigcawu Avenue

Langa, 7455

Cape Town 8000

+27782808944

+27216941895

lmgobozi@gmail.com

Micro-MBA Course

2009-02-24T10:45:00.004+02:00

This past week the Entrepreneurship Centre successfully conducted its first Micro-MBA Program. The program is a one week course in which participants learn relevant skills related to starting and running a small business. These skills range from market demand analysis to financial management. Twenty-one entrepreneurs participated in the program representing various types of businesses; hair styling, catering, shoe making, and IT services just to name a few. Not only did participants learn from the course material, but they also learned from each other as they discussed the challenges they have faced in starting up and running a small business.

Although the initial training week is over, we will continue to provide consultation to all the participants as they start up or continue to run their business. Due to the program’s success we are already planning to run it again in the next few months.

Entrepreneurship Blog at TSiBA

2009-01-01T21:21:00.003+02:00

I've quit believing in New Year's resolutions a while ago. The usual suspects: lose 10kg, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, win the lottery: they all seem to fade as fast as the fireworks on New Years Day. But I can't seem to give up. So here's a new one for me: start a blog. And what better to blog about than a topic I am passionate about: Entrepreneurship at TSiBA.

The Entrepreneurship Centre has now been running for two full years and we've supported 78 starting businesses in that time. Successes and failures. That's a lot of stories to blog about. (Click here to see a full list).

Help me keep my resolution by commenting on my posts. Want to be a co-author? The more the merrier! Let's get started...