Johannesburg 15 August 2023 – Advocating for entrepreneurship has become essential in the South African economy where youth continue to remain vulnerable to unemployment. Many young South Africans, are now turning to creative and innovative solutions, such as entrepreneurship as an alternative to finding a job. Equipping aspiring business owners with the appropriate skills to make their businesses successful has become vitally important.

Since its establishment, the Play Your Part Ignite campaign has acted as a driving force for the entrepreneurial spirit of burgeoning business owners and has assisted with the guidance needed to bring their businesses and business ideas to life. The campaign, which launched in July 2022, assists with fine tuning existing and new business ideas, providing participants with the opportunity to pitch their ideas, all while giving them a chance to win their share of R25 000. To date, the roadshow has visited Polokwane, Rustenburg, Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town and will now be making its way to Mbombela in early September.

The first Ignite session in Mbombela, will take place on 6 September 2023, at the Capital Mbombela and the masterclass will be presented by previous Ignite winner, entrepreneur and Play Your Part Ambassador, Shurldrae Rosen . Shurldrae attended the first Ignite masterclass held in Gauteng last year, and took first place in the pitching session with his green concept. Shurldrae is the co-founder of Bubele Africa, an organisation focused on creating a brighter future for all, through river clean-ups that also offer an opportunity to feed the homeless.

The Mbombela leg of the roadshow, will be hosting 200 potential entrepreneurs for the masterclass and pitching session. Stakeholders such as Harambee Youth Accelerator, SA Youth Network and Mpumalanga Entrepreneurship Growth Agency (MEGA) to name a few, will be part of the Mbombela Ignite session.

The Play Your Part Ignite campaign is specifically focused on assisting young participants to construct a brief and concise business idea pitch to selected judges. Very often, budding entrepreneurs are not always given an opportunity to present their business ideas to potential investors, which would equip them with the individual skills sets required to enable them to sell their idea effectively, and change their lives! Acting Chief Executive Officer, Sithembile Ntombela stated that "South Africa is a country with endless possibilities, a young population that is talented and skilled. Innovation and creativity are at the heart of who we are. Play Your Part Ignite is therefore, an enabling platform for them to create new opportunities for the youth of tomorrow".

The Play Your Part Ignite Masterclass has empowered aspiring entrepreneurs, like Portia Mavhungu, founder of PRDLS and inventor of the Para-Tube. The Para-Tube, a built-in latrine for wheelchair users, won over the Ignite panel of judges and secured a mentorship with HWSETA CEO, Elaine Brass, which then led to her securing funding and securing her patent internationally. The most recent Ignite session held in Cape Town, hosted 200 individuals, where Cleopatra Ngoie took first place and won R12 000. Cleopatra is a qualified nurse, entrepreneur and owner of Shap Left Healthcareservices that specialises in primary and occupational healthcare.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur and would like to join this exciting initiative, you will need to follow the Play Your Part official page on Facebook and DM for the event details. Ignite your entrepreneurial journey by attending the masterclass and pitching session and you could stand a chance to win your share of R25 000!

About Brand South Africa

Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation, to improve its global competitiveness. Its aim is also to build pride and patriotism among South Africans, to contribute to social cohesion and nation-brand ambassadorship.

About "Play Your Part"

Play Your Part is a nationwide programme created to inspire, empower, and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. It aims to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved, and start doing. A nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone.

Play Your Part is aimed at all South Africans, from corporates and individuals, NGOs and government, churches and schools, from the young to the not-so-young. It aims to encourage South Africans to use some of their time, money, skills, or goods to contribute to a better future for all.