Business ideas prove winners
[caption id="attachment_38559" align="alignright" width="405"] TOP PITCH: Pitching business ideas at the Feather Market Centre in Port Elizabeth on Saturday are entrepreneurs, from left, Luvuyo Ponase, Loyiso Gongqa, Lezane van Niekerk, Asa Mazomba and Siphamandla Javu. Picture: EUGENE COETZEE[/caption]
THREE Eastern Cape businessmen made it through to the second leg of a fun but tough national entrepreneurial competition at the weekend.
After a gruelling workshop at the Feather Market Centre in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, Asa Mazomba, Luvuyo Ponase and Siphamandla Javu will take part in round two of the Engen Pitch and Polish competition in August.
Four pre-selected entrepreneurs and another entrant selected randomly from the audience pitched their businesses to the audience, who acted as potential investors and helped them polish up their presentations before they had to present to a panel of judges for the first round of the competition in the city.
Javu, who was selected from the audience, Mazomba and Ponase had to pitch their business ideas – in just 30 seconds – several times to the participative audience before facing the judges later on Saturday afternoon. The audience peppered them with questions on the sustainability, target market and competitiveness of their businesses.
Javu blew the audience away with his telecommunications business which is based in NU1, Motherwell.
His business offers free internet access and wi-fi services, with the added value of a car wash and tshisa nyama (informal braai) facilities.
With his online procurement business which helps small businesses land contracts with government entities, Mazomba gave a good presentation, while Ponase convinced the audience that his facilities management business – which takes care of the security, maintenance and general upkeep of buildings – was worth backing.
All three Eastern Cape entrepreneurs have won cash prizes and if they have what it takes to make it through the second round of the competition in August, they will take part in the semifinal and final in September. They will also compete against a wildcard contestant, chosen live on SAfm during August, in the semifinal and final.
Other entrepreneurs who pitched their ideas but did not make it through the first round of the competition in Port Elizabeth were involved in the tourism, cleaning and building industries.
Mary Phillips, who attended Saturday's workshop as an audience member and was a participant in last year's competition, said she loved attending entrepreneurial competitions in order to motivate herself as an entrepreneur. She brought her teenage son, Austin, along to introduce him to the world of entrepreneurship.
The main objective of the competition – now in its fifth year – is to grow entrepreneurs. Engen Petroleum Ltd group transformation manager Unathi Njokweni-Magida said the Engen Pitch and Polish competition was an exciting partnership with Raizcorp and acted as a national platform for smart business ideas to be identified.
Njokweni-Magida said other than a great business idea, the entrepreneurs had to have fire in their belly and a hunger for success. - Cindy Preller
