MEET SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS

AS YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS WIN BIG AT SAB KICKSTART AWARDS

(Johannesburg – 20 October 2009) The winners of the annual SAB KickStart Enterprise Development Initiative were announced at a function at the Sandton Sun last night.

Sooveir Rajkumar’s Meatalicious (trading as the Boastful Butcher) was named Business of the Year and he received R200 000. The grand prize is in addition to the R80 000 he received as an initial KickStart grant in the regional finals. Rajkumar is the butcher who has created the first commercial prawn burger patties in South Africa.

The 35-year-old entrepreneur has always been a go-getter; he did his training at Cedara and worked for the Land Bank where he was the first person of colour to hold a position as an agricultural land valuator. It was while working later in Zambia at a meat processing plant that he found his true calling. He attended a number of courses and mastered the art of making various cold meat and ground meat products.

He returned to South Africa at the end of 2004 to pursue his goal of setting up his own meat processing plant. His focus was to develop a line of healthy burger patties of the highest quality that are also Halaal. As well as the prawn patty he also sells un-crumbed chicken patties. The lunch-munch range is an innovative shape of patty that “fits” better on a sandwich. His most recent development is an un-crumbed fish patty which is once again low in fat and carbohydrates. The products are currently sold in Spar and Checkers outlets in kwa-Zulu Natal. Rajkumar plans to expand to other supermarket chains as well as looking to eventually sell his product countrywide.

Second prize of R150 000 went to the entrepreneurial brothers Lonwabo and Luvuyo Rani of Silulo Ulutho Technologies in Khayelitsha in Cape Town. Silulo Ulutho - which means “bringing value” - provides computer access, training, sales and repairs at seven centres and Internet cafes situated in the underserviced markets of Khayelitsha and Gugulethu. The brothers – who see themselves as social entrepreneurs in terms of their impact on society, as well as businessmen, who do not lose focus on profit and return - currently employ a staff of 26 and train more than 340 students a month. They plan to franchise their operation around the country.

Soweto’s Reggie Makhetha and his Roots Restaurant & Gallery clinched third prize and R100 000 in the Business of the Year category. Across the road from Isaac Morrison High School and a stone’s throw from the Hector Peterson memorial, Roots is the first place in Soweto to combine a dining destination with an art gallery. Makhetha epitomises the new breed of Sowetan entrepreneur whose business acumen and flair with food is helping change the culinary landscape of the township.
Three awards were made in the development category. Thirty-three-year old Thohoyando’s Tshepo Makhavu of Mabunga Toilets walked away with first prize of

R150 000 for helping uplift people living in rural Thohoyando by providing them with innovative, cost effective and durable sanitation, by building stand-alone concrete toilets, which he also designed.

Second prize of R90 000 went to Tebogo Mashego (27); a woman at home in what is traditionally a man’s world. She runs the manufacturing concern Diep K Steel & Aluminium in Booysens, Gauteng. Third prize of R60 000 went to Vusi Sibisi of Soweto’s Vuma Tech Engineering who repairs compressors, lift motors, small electrical motors and generators.

The KickStart programme – funded and developed by SAB – is open to previously disadvantaged youth aged between 18 and 35 who want to start or grow their own businesses. Since 1995, SAB has invested more than R45-million in grant funding in the programme, which promotes business awareness,

SA’s award-winning entrepreneur Sooveir Rajkumar – the man responsible for the country’s first commercial prawn burger – with second prize winner Tebogo Mashego (27) - a woman who runs the manufacturing concern Diep K Steel & Aluminium in Booysens in Gauteng - at the SAB KickStarter of the Year Awards dinner in Sandton. PIC BY LETTIE FERREIRA

helps participants develop business skills and provides start-up grants.

After entering the competition, an average of 120 candidates from around the country is selected to join the programme, where they attend business skills training courses. The participants must then put their creativity and business knowledge to work by preparing a business plan which, if successful, will win them a seed capital grant of between R50 000 and R150 000.

After six months of intense mentoring, three businesses are selected from each region to enter the national finals, where the top performers will win an additional R750 000 between them, plus further mentoring. Selection is based on the performance of the businesses, the use of the original grant money,

the impact KickStart has had on the businesses, and their sustainability. Twenty-seven businesses received grants and over R6.7 million was invested by SAB in the 2008 competition.

South Africa has one of the lowest levels of entrepreneurship in the world with entrepreneurs contributing around 35 percent of GDP compared to 60 percent in countries like Brazil and India. For those who do manage to start their own business, fewer than 20 percent survive past the first two years.

The SAB KickStart programme aims to alleviate that. A seven-year review from 2001 to 2007 makes for impressive reading – 81 percent of all grant recipients were still in business after three years; the combined turnover of grant winners per annum was over R95 million while the growth in full time jobs created was a staggering 100 percent.

Dr Vincent Maphai, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Transformation, from SAB says: “SAB has always been determined that KickStart be a sustainable programme. I am delighted that this year’s finalists have taken as much from the mentoring programme and training as they did from the monetary grants they received. Our heartiest congratulations go to this year’s overall winners, we are confident you will reach great heights. Congratulations must also be extended to the other finalists. They are all winners and we expect to hear about their continued success in year and decades to come.”

Go to www.sabkickstart.co.za if you would like details on how to apply for a KickStart grant.