Entrepreneurs launch online platform to help youth employment

South Africa is known for its high unemployment rate, particularly among the youth, and the Covid-19 pandemic has only worsened an already grim outlook, with companies losing revenue and jobs.

Recognising the need for support at this time, young East London-born entrepreneurs Bohlale Buzani and Lilitha Nkohla have established an online platform — East London Youth Business — where young businessmen and women in Buffalo City can network and collaborate.

“We identified a vacuum when it comes to support for young entrepreneurs in our city with regards to an ecosystem that properly represents their interests,” Buzani said.

“We noticed that young people have ideas and vision in terms of entrepreneurship, but have no relevant supporting structures in place and those that are there are inaccessible.”

The online platform’s aim is to make resources and knowledge more accessible to the youth so they can thrive as a collective, to create a community of like-minded people and to mobilise the youth to influence economic policy to help address unemployment.

“We definitely envision one day to have a seat at the National Economic Development and Labour Council [Nedlac], where we will discuss crucial economic policies on behalf of the disadvantaged youth of SA that experience marginalisation from ownership in the economy, even though we are the leaders of tomorrow,” Buzani added.

When asked about government helping young entrepreneurs to start their businesses, he acknowledged that there were funds that assisted in job creation, but young people needed an intentional plan of economic succession.

“A lot of youth intervention programmes are inaccessible at a grassroots level and we aim to strategise and plan from the bottom up. 

“We have also analysed the various developmental institutions meant for the youth and have realised that the youth are far too advanced for these funding models.

“As a result young people are forced to reduce their ideas to fit into the status quo of informal businesses, whereas we should be accessing funds to build factories and manufacturing plants.”

Buzani said the establishment of the online platform was inspired by countries such as Malaysia that had platforms like PlatCom.  

“We will be hosting different sessions and themes each week, addressing different aspects of business and entrepreneurship,” he said.

“We want to create a space where young people collaborate; in this way we will be practising working models on how to grow one’s business and help each other thrive.

“At the centre we will have the barter system where young people tap into each other’s human capital and personal networks.

“There is power in a collective voice and this movement is to help mobilise the youth and make our voices louder.

“Youth unemployment is on the rise and we are preparing ourselves and other young people for what is still yet to come.” 

To join the online group, search for East London Youth in Business on Facebook.