The KwaZulu-Natal government has recommitted to provide funding opportunities for young people in business and those who want to start their own businesses.
Engaging with youth in business at Ilembe District, northern KwaZulu-Natal, Finance MEC Peggy Nkonyeni said the provincial government is committed to assist the youth, through Operation Vula Fund, the Youth Fund, Transformation Fund, and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) Fund.
“As a matter of fact, over R3 million of Operation Vula Fund has been spent on the youth during window two, with 19 females, 14 males and five people with disabilities all getting a piece of the funding pie,” Nkonyeni said.
Nkonyeni said there are various business ideas that can assist in starting and successfully running businesses, however, the key element is innovation.
“Youth should be innovative and approach any government entity to request guidance and support. We have brought various strategic government entities so that they can present to you all their services, and this will create an opportunity for a useful engagement that will assist in starting and running businesses,” Nkonyeni said.
Nkonyeni, together with Health Deputy Minister Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo -- who are both champions of Ilembe District -- and various government partners held an engagement with young people in business to empower them with a package of interconnected business opportunities available with KwaZulu-Natal government.
The session aimed to empower the youth with vital information about supply chain, compliance and access to government funding. The engagement also aimed to assist in fighting youth unemployment that is estimated at over 30% in Ilembe District.
Young people were taken through the process of how to start and manage a business, and were given information on how to successfully manage a business and be compliant with the law.
The business owners were also assisted with their queries regrading government’s Central Supplier Database (CSD), which maintains a database of organisations, institutions and individuals who can provide goods and services to government.
Dhlomo encouraged the youth not to give up when their business ideas or businesses either do not get off the ground or collapse.
“We need the youth to stay focused, creative and always on the lookout for business opportunities. Government has availed funding schemes and we need to use these schemes to grow our businesses.
“As champions of Ilembe District, we need to see the difference next year in the area of youth businesses,” Dhlomo said.
Ilembe District Municipality Mayor, Thobani Shandu, emphasised the importance of engaging with Ilembe youth in business, and encouraged the youth to take advantage of the available funding opportunities.
“We want to give all the guidance and information that will assist our youth to start, run and grow their businesses. We want to have the type of youth who are not only thinking about getting employed.
“Unemployment is rife and we need the type of the youth who want to create employment and contribute to growing the economy of our district. Our youth must take advantage of these funding opportunities,” Shandu said.
Yoliswa Nxumalo from Mandeni, who attended the engagement, asked the provincial government to give guidance and support in running her agricultural farming.
“I am in farming and have 12 hectors of agricultural land. I need support to ensure that there is no piece of land that remains unused,” said Nxumalo. – SAnews.gov.za
