Young techpreneur wins Business Partners competition

Innovative techpreneur Khomotso Malakalaka was announced as the national winner of the 2018 SME Toolkit Business Partners Business Plan Competition for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs.

The competition saw 800 young aspiring entrepreneurs attend business planning workshops across the country to equip them with the necessary skills and tools to turn their business idea into a reality.
 
The competition aims to encourage, assist and inspire South Africa’s youth to start their own businesses as a means to reduce the country's high unemployment rate by promoting entrepreneurship as a viable career choice.
 
However, according to Petro Bothma, enterprise development manager at Business Partners, who was speaking at the awards ceremony held this morning in Johannesburg, in order to do this, it is crucial that aspiring entrepreneurs be taught the essentials of starting a business, such as developing a business plan.

Malakalaka was awarded the national prize for her business plan for her Polokwane-based online grocery shopping and delivery start-up, The GoodGrocer, which ultimately exuded the "wow-factor", explains Bothma.

"The GoodGrocer will offer services that take advantage of the growing customer demand for e-commerce by providing a convenient and high-quality service, whilst taking into account its customers' lifestyle needs and catering to the essential requirement of hassle-free, easy, and convenient online grocery shopping."
 
Malakalaka will receive R25 000 in seed capital for her business, a mentorship voucher valued at R12 000, a smart tablet and goodie bag.
 
The 2018 regional winners each won a mentorship voucher valued at R6 000. They are:

• Ayanda Jiyane of Hair Reconstructioners (KwaZulu-Natal);
• Frans Mpholo of Orange Berry ICT solutions (Free State);
• Lucky Shabalala of Entertainment Neighborhood (Johannesburg);
• Moloko Goodwill and Michael Manaswe of Pureponics Aquaponics (North West);
• Nyaniseka Mxinwa and Noluthando Yolanda Funani of Buyel’mbo Innovative Services (East London);
• Puseletso Patience Phoku of Panache Entertainment Agency (Mpumalanga);
• Shaidat Aroyewun of 1in Town (Port Elizabeth);
• Siphelo Sikolisi, Thembile Ndlondlo, Khululwe Tintelo, and Mphindeleli Qalazive of AutoPrecision Engineering (Western Cape);
• Takalani Magoro and Maemu Tshivhase of Sky Base Projects (Pretoria);
• Thatho Maleka of Smart TKT (TKT BrowLash Boutique) (Northern Cape).

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