SAB KICKSTART IGNITE WINNERS ANNOUNCED

PHOTO_SAB KickStart Ignite winners, class of 2016

The SAB KickStart Ignite, class of 2016, winners last night at the awards ceremony. Left to right: Maputle Tsoka of Evolutionary Innovations; Anthea Jefthas, PPM Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs (Africa), AB InBev; Phuti Lamola of Phuti Food Manufacturing; Ricardo Tadeu, President: Africa Zone, SAB/AB InBev; Mabuse Sekgothe of Makeishine Technologies; Honourable Minister Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Small Business Development, South Africa; Nirishi Trikamjee, Corporate Affairs Director, SAB/AB InBev; Mahlatse Ncha of Lily Southern Suppliers; Didi Mohapi of MHPLabs; Nkululeko Mthembu, Founder, of The Durban Innovation Hub; and Sizwe Mavuso of Imma CC

PHOTO_Mabuse Sekgothe_Makeishine Technologies_1st place First place winner of the SAB KickStart Ignite, class of 2016, awards - Mabuse Sekgothe of Makeishine Technologies

Johannesburg. 24 March 2017. Mabuse Sekgothe of Soshanguve has claimed first place in the 2016 SAB KickStart Ignite Awards, the South African Breweries’ (SAB) entrepreneurship programme which supports the development of young innovators who are makers and creators of viable business concepts, ideas or products.

Prizes, in the form of grant funding, ranged from R150 000 to R400 000 and were awarded to the top four of the 18 finalists, while two people in joint fifth position received R75 000 as seed capital to turn their business ideas into reality. Sekgothe, 32, started his gym fitting and technical service company, Makeishine Technologies in Gauteng in 2015.

SAB Corporate Affairs Director Nirishi Trkamjee said: “Mabuse epitomises the traits required of an entrepreneur. He is tenacious and his personal drive and adaptability leaves no stone unturned to make his venture a success,” said Trikamjee. “He understands his customer’s risks and needs and has focused his products specifically to address these. He understands the challenges he faces with his business model and has alternatives in place to scale up from maintenance to fittings for different customers as his reputation grows.”

Winners were selected by a panel of judges who assessed their drive, adaptability and determination in order to succeed in their chosen ventures, said Trikamjee.

“We unpacked their potential customer needs and their intended market, and assessed whether their products engaged with customers and sought to address their needs.

In second place was Maputle Tsoka of Evolutionary Innovations in Polokwane, Didi Mohapi of MHPLabs in the Free State in third, Sizwe Mavuso of Gauteng’s water harvesting system in fourth and Polokwane’s Phuti Lamola of Phuti Food Manufacturing and Mahlatse Ncha of Lily Southern Suppliers tying for fifth.

The 2016 SAB KickStart Ignite finalists were selected last year and were in incubation for six months. During this stage, these candidates had the opportunity to turn their ideas into commercially viable products and services with the support of resident engineers and business trainers. They have progressed through technical and business mentorship, peer learning, networking and the use of advanced technology infrastructure.

“Over the past 22 years, SAB has built its youth entrepreneurship programme, SAB KickStart, into a model which has helped to create thousands of sustainable and profitable youth-owned businesses through effective business development support,” said Trikamjee.

SAB KickStart was developed in May 1995 as a poverty alleviation programme which later supported the development of youth entrepreneurship. Some of the SAB KickStart’s  successes over 20 years include supporting, at a total investment of over R100-million, 24 558 entrepreneurs and the creation of 3 458 youth-owned businesses, which have each created an average of 6.7 jobs.

SAB KickStart Ignite winners

First place winner of R400 000 grant funding Mabuse Sekgothe, of Makeishine Technologies (Pty) Ltd, based in Soshanguve, Pretoria South The company specialises in the manufacturing, and technical servicing and maintenance of gym equipment.

Second place winner of R300 000 grant funding Maputle Tsoka, of Evolutionary Innovations (Pty) Ltd, based in Tzaneen in Polokwane, Limpopo Evolutionary Innovations specialises in the construction of quality and affordable oral prostheses, which include cleft palate obturators, dentures, and dental crowns – to help low-income earners and members of the public sector receive dental rehabilitation and treatment, to which they would not normally have access.

Third place winner of R200 000 grant funding Didi Mohapi, of MHPLabs, based in Bloemfontein, Free State MHPLabs provides mobile diagnostic laboratory services to state hospitals, clinics, and healthcare practitioners as well as their patients. Specialising in Point of Care testing, the business operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to efficiently confirm medical diagnosis.

Fourth place winner of R150 000 grant funding Sizwe Mavuso, of Imma CC, based in Kempton Park, Gauteng As a means to help eradicate water shortage in the community, Imma is a compact water harvesting product for general re-use of grey and rainwater. The 25 litre containers have been designed to interlock together allowing the ‘water tank’ to be built up to 100 000 litres. The cost-effective containers are easy to transport and install.

Joint fifth place winners of R75 000 grant funding, each Phuti Lamola, of Phuti Food Manufacturing, based in Polokwane, Limpopo Phuti Food Manufacturing produces nutritious soya mince soup in a variety of flavours. The soup surpasses government protein requirements and is healthy and tasty. Mahlatse Ncha, of Lily Southern Suppliers, based in Polokwane, Limpopo Lily Southern Suppliers is a culinary herb farm and supply business. With an inconsistent supply of fresh herbs in Polokwane, she identified a need in the market. Her business provides the community with fresh produce without consumers having to wait long periods of time to receive it.

 

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