With youth unemployment at crisis levels, and the planet on the brink of a climate catastrophe, the urgency for tangible solutions is no longer a luxury but a necessity.
There lies an unprecedented opportunity, a chance for our young people to redefine
South Africa’s economy through entrepreneurship with a particular focus on the green economy. According to the Quarter 2 report for 2024 by Statistics South Africa, unemployed young South Africans aged 15-24 years and 25-34 years continue to have the highest unemployment rates at 60.8% and 41.7% respectively further highlighting the critical need to upscale efforts to empower young South Africans.
Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset within our youth is now more than ever a moral imperative and responsibility. The critical argument is that we must move their mindset from job seekers to that of job creators. Many young people are struggling to transition into the job market and some contributing factors include misalignment between education offerings and the needs of the labour market, a lack of opportunities into the job market, economic stagnation, limited access to resources and support on their entrepreneurial journey to turn their idea into reality.
Step Up 2 A Start Up was created to address a gap in the small business development ecosystem by targeting high-school youth on a national and digital level through theoretical and hands-on elements. For the past decade youth-development leaders, Primestars and The YouthStart Foundation have been doing just that through the Step Up 2 A Start Up programme.
The 2024 implementation is in full swing with screenings at cinemas and schools nationwide and on September 5 industry leaders and others gathered at The Venue in Melrose Arch to celebrate a decade of impact with the programme and a shared vision of amplifying its reach. The event also featured an exhibition by former beneficiaries showcasing the business ventures they have operated since participating in the programme.
The South African government’s growth path commits to creating 11 million jobs by 2030. The National Development Plan envisages that 90% of these jobs will be created in small and expanding companies. To achieve this, thousands of new companies will need to be created and supported by both the government and the relevant industries. In particular, the green economy holds the potential to create up to 275 000 new jobs by 2030.
The Step Up 2 A Start Up programme is specifically designed to drive innovation within the beneficiaries and inspire thinking of new technologies, products or services. This in turn fosters economic growth both in a community and national level. It empowers the youth to realise their potential by teaching them to utilise opportunities in the economy and create business solutions to the challenges and problems identified within their respective communities. The programme’s focus this year is the green economy and climate change in line with the global agenda on sustainability. To develop these young eco-entrepreneurs and reduce the country’s high unemployment rate, the youth must be provided with the right tools, skills, inspiration and motivation that will enable them to create businesses, and become gainful employers in a circular, restorative, inclusive, and clean economy.
This innovative programme has ignited the entrepreneurial spark in over 100 000 pupils across urban, peri-urban, township, and rural communities across South Africa. Delivering the keynote address, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and The Environment, Bernice Swarts, highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship as a means to combat both climate change and unemployment, saying: “Our youth, our entrepreneurs of today, are our future leaders and business corporates of tomorrow, we need to keep the momentum, if not, then do more. Our youth are hungry for opportunities, and I dare say, patience is certainly not their virtue.”;
Programmes that promote entrepreneurship and small business development are vital. They empower young people to take control of their destinies, reducing their reliance on traditional employment avenues. Moreover, contributing to a more resilient economy.
“The programme made me realise that any idea can be turned into a business and you don’t have to go through hoops and loops to become an entrepreneur. My experience was great, I was able to meet like-minded people, got to network and make connections that I still have to date. I’d like every young person to go through Step Up 2 A Start Up and experience a different way of thinking.”- Seleme Mochitele, 2016 winner.
“In 2019, during our participation in the programme, my teammate and I came up with a business idea to create a mental health app called SafeSpace that aimed to tackle the rising mental illness rates amongst the youth as well as the stigma around it. Entering the competition really opened various doors for us, some of which we didn’t even know existed. Although we didn’t successfully get the business up and running, we didn’t allow that to keep us down. We used our downfall or step back as an opportunity to gain experience in the game, to build connections and to gain a sense of emotional intelligence before attempting to get SafeSpace up and running again.” - Nolwazi Sindane, winner of 2019 Step Up to A Start Up.
“Entrepreneurship is not just about making money, it’s about creating value, solving problems, and leaving a positive legacy. The green economy is filled with opportunities for those willing to innovate, and we believe the future entrepreneurs we are nurturing today will be the pioneers of this transformation,” said Martin Sweet, Managing Director of Primestars.
“Ten years is just the beginning. We are far from done and the plan is to expand our horizons, igniting a nationwide movement of green entrepreneurs, and building a legacy that will inspire generations to come. The future of our nation rests in the hands of our youth,” said Nkosinathi Moshoana, Executive Lead on all programmes implemented and COO of Primestars.
Saturday Star