So many people have business ideas but lack support that’s needed to get the idea off the ground. That’s exactly why the SABMiller KickStart program started – to help young people, ages 18 through 35, start their own business.
SABMiller has invested more than R45 million in grant funding in the KickStart program since 1995 when the program started. The KickStart program is funded and developed by SABMiller, and open to previously disadvantaged youths who want to start their own business. It was originally started to promote business awareness and help previously disadvantaged youths develop business skills and provide them with start-up grants.
ActionCOACH South Africa ran several ActionCLUB events for the final selected entrepreneurs for the program. There was a rigorous selection process to attend the intensive series of training programs, and the final step was the attendance on the ActionCLUB program.
ActionCLUB was run by ActionCOACH Business Coaches Rob McKenna and Tleli Makhetha. Coincidentally, the third-place finalist, Reggie Makhetha, is Tlieli’s son.
Even though there were only three winners, the program helped start up 45 businesses from the other entrepreneurs who entered the program.
Reggie won for his Roots Restaurant and Gallery, which is the first establishment in Soweto to combine a restaurant with an art gallery. He took third place in the Business of the Year category and won R100,000.
ActionCLUB also coached the second place and first place finalists, Lonwabo and Luvuyo Rani of Silulo Ulotho Technologies and Sooveir Rajkumar, who created the first commercial prawn burger, respectively.
ActionCOACH has already secured the rights to run a number of ActionCLUB events for the program for SABMiller again next year. In addition, SAB KickStart’s program manager made special mention of the role that ActionCOACH played in the program when interviewed on 702 Talk Radio recently.
ActionCOACH is the world’s number one business coaching and executive coaching firm, with more than 1,000 offices in 26 countries. To learn more, go to actioncoach.com
