The Play Your Part television series this week shows how entrepreneur and radio host Zareef Minty, Nina Venjakob of the initiative Out of the Box, and Yusuf Randera-Rees of the Awethu Project, contribute to making South Africa a better place. Here’s how you can get involved.
Brand South Africa reporter
In Episode 2 of the Play Your Part television series, three extraordinary people share their stories about how they are shaping economic upliftment through education, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and active citizenship.
The episode, which will air on Saturday, 2 September 2017 at 18:00 on SABC 2, is hosted by Play Your Part ambassador, Kabelo Mabalane. Mabalane, a local artist is also a co-founder of the initiative Shout for a Safer South Africa.
The 26-episode Play Your Part series aims to inspire viewers to be active citizens and take part in volunteerism by profiling South Africans across the country who are doing extraordinary things to change people’s lives for the better.
Episode 2 features entrepreneur and radio host Zareef Minty, Nina Venjakob of the initiative Out of the Box, and Yusuf Randera-Rees of the Awethu Project.
Some of the things they share include:
- How they started their journeys and the challenges they face, and;
- How they are improving lives of people in South Africa.
Nina Venjakob of Out of the Box
Nina Venjakob is the founder of the Out of the Box Learning Centre in Germiston. The non-governmental organisation focuses on training, educating and empowering unemployed South Africans to break the cycle of poverty.
Besides learning the basics like reading, writing, and business management, people can learn practical skills like lamp shade making, sewing, candle and soap making, screen printing, shoe making and beading. These skills teach people how to create their own products and run businesses from their homes.
Last year, Venjakob was named the 2016 December Lead SA hero for her work through Out of the Box.
Contact
Telephone: 011 872 0967/8
Email: nina@outofthebox.org.za
Website: outofthebox.org.za
Twitter: @ninaoutofthebox
Zareef Minty
Zareef Minty encourages youth to do things like start their own business, and not allow their age to limit them. He was 16-years-old when he started a T-shirt business.
The 23-year-old has an LLB Law degree and is the winner of the television show One Day Leader Season 4. Minty runs his own public relations company. In this episode, he speaks about the importance of mentorship and networking.
Minty was also included in 2014’s Top 200 Young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian.
He is involved in many charities; among them is the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation Adopt a School, for which he does motivational talks at schools.
Contact
Twitter: @ZareefSMB
Adopt-a-school
Website: www.cyrilramaphosafoundation.org/project/adopt-a-school/
Khanyisa Maphaha
Email: kmaphaha@adoptaschool.co.za or info@adoptaschool.co.za
Telephone: 011 592 6560
The Awethu Project
Yusuf Randera-Rees started the Awethu Project in Alexandria when he was 26-years-old.
The Awethu Project helps entrepreneurs through incubation centres, online mentorship and also assists with building networks and obtaining funding. The initiative has incubated over 2 000 people and raised over R450-million to invest in the mission to improve South Africa through entrepreneurship.
Its focus is informal entrepreneurs who run businesses alongside the road.
The Awethu Project has also launched an app in June this year. Their incubation service lives off the app and is available to anyone downloading it.
Contact
Website: www.awethuproject.co.za
Twitter: @AwethuProject
Telephone: 011 024 1606
Watch the Play Your Part TV series on Saturdays on SABC 2 at 18:00.
To get involved in playing your part in South Africa, here’s what you can do:
Check out the conversation on Twitter: #GetInvolved
Or find out about initiatives on Play Your Part via https://brandsouthafrica.com/play-your-part
Tell us how you Play Your Part: @PlayYourPartSA.
Follow Brand South Africa on Twitter: @Brand_SA.
Like us on Facebook: Official Brand South Africa.
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