In the news: Launch of the Business on a Bicycle Initiative in Kagiso
We are very excited that the launch of our Business on a Bicylce Generator was covered by various media outlets. On Thursday 24 October, enke: Make Your Mark, in partnership with Investec, and Qhubeka Charity officially launched the enke/Investec Business on a Bike Generator Program. The Program connects 37 aspiring young entrepreneurs in Kagiso with equipment, seed funding and support program to create and/or build their businesses. The young entrepreneurs were awarded their Qhubeka bicycles at a celebration hosted by enke: Make Your Mark on 24 October 2019 at Chief Mogale Hall 128 in Kagiso, Krugersdorp.
The enke/Investec Business on a Bike Generator is a private and civil society sector initiative between enke: Make Your Mark, Investec and Qhubeka, with support from local partner, West Rand Youth Development Centre. Facilitated by enke: Make Your Mark, the initiative seeks to build the skills and provide practical experience for aspiring young entrepreneurs in Kagiso. The enke/Investec Business on a Bike Generator is part of the work that enke: Make Your Mark has been doing in Kagiso, in partnership with West Rand Youth Centre since 2016, through the enke: Catalyst Program.
“The passion and innovation that we’ve seen throughout this project has been inspiring. These small businesses have the power to lift people out of poverty, change lives and influence communities in positive ways. It’s an honor for us to hand over the bikes, seed funding and business plans to each start-up. We have partnered with enke who will be providing monthly support and training for the first 12 months of running their business,” Setlogane Manchidi Head of Corporate Social Investment, Investec.
The journey to the handover of the bicycles started on 21 March 2019, with the Investec Private Bank’s Young Professionals’ Revolution, a 24 hour event where over 150 Young Professionals, with the assistance of community members from Kagiso, came up with business ideas that could be implemented using a bicycle in a township. These business ideas were handed over to enke: Make Your Mark, who facilitated the application and selection process to identify the 37 entrepreneurs who received the bicycles.
“Often when events are held by corporates, we don’t see where it goes and how they have impact in society,” shared Skhumbuzo Moodaley-Mpisane, enke’s Head of Programs, “The bicycle handover shows concretely the impact of such events and the power of collaboration and partnerships. We are appreciative of Investec’s commitment to ensure that the young professionals contributed to something that is very real and meaningful in the lives of young entrepreneurs in Kagiso.”
The young entrepreneurs were awarded the bicycles at a celebration held on 24 October 2019 at Chief Mogale Hall 128 in Kagiso, Krugersdorp by representatives from enke: Make Your Mark (including founders Pip and Tom), Qhubeka, the Investec CSI and Investec Private Bank teams, the Mogale City Mayor, Patrick Lipudi and community members of Kagiso were in attendance to help celebrate the entrepreneurs that have started their businesses.
Read the Krugersdorp News Article by Jaco Human about the launch event.