The SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation, which educates high school pupils about entrepreneurship, says it will roll out entrepreneur societies to more high schools this year.
Last year, a pilot programme was started at eight high schools. This year, 34 benefited from the programme, said SA Teen Entrepreneur’s founder and director Lydia Zingoni.
Participating schools include Mfuleni High School; Cravenby Secondary School; Malibu High School; Goodwood College and Scottsville High School.
“At the heart of entrepreneurship is the identification of problems or challenges in our communities or environments, and finding creative solutions to turn these challenges into opportunities which can be profitable”, said Ms Zingoni. “And this is exactly the kind of culture we want to instil into our young South Africans; that they become self-sustainable in order to support themselves and their families, and even their broader communities through employment creation over time.”
Some of the pupils who have graduated from the 2016 programme have gone on to start up businesses.