Community Empowerment

Ekurhuleni Youth in Fashion Get Finance and Mentorship Boost

Five fashion entrepreneurs won a business incubation prize worth more than R100 000 during The Hook Up Dinner Ekurhuleni (THUDEkurhuleni) at Germiston Lake on Thursday, 8 August 2019.

The City, through its Youth Directorate, partnered with THUD and other stakeholders like National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to support the business of young people in Ekurhuleni. During the THUDEkurhuleni, the City and its stakeholders pledged financial support as well as non-financial support to young entrepreneurs.

Network sessions take place monthly where young people pitch their ideas to experts and their peers. They are given advice on how to improve and grow their business. Each month a different theme is chosen, with August being the fashion sector.

“THUDEkurhuleni gives young people in business a chance to network with their peers, experts, potential funders and customers. These sessions give young people access to the market, especially in the SMMES sector,” explained Divisional Head of the City’s Youth Directorate Adv Modise Koetle.

David Tlale, one of the fashion heavyweights in the country, urged participants to master the basics, identify their skills and refine them.

“Go to fashion schools and companies that teach and produce, respectively, the line of fashion you want to pursue and learn how they do what they are doing. Know the types of material they use and the purposes for which they use them,” Tlale said. He also advised young fashion designers at the session to make use of mentors and learnerships to know the trade.

Obed Letsoho from NYDA announced that his organisation will give five entrepreneurs who pitched on the day four vouchers for services such as business plans, marketing strategies and other essential services they need to grow their businesses. He added that NYDA will be giving mentoring services to these fashion entrepreneurs.

Letsoho said young people of Ekurhuleni can access the services of NYDA by logging on to www.nyda.gov.za or visit their offices at 50 Church Street, old Boksburg Magistrate Court. They can be reached on 0800 52 52 52.

Caption:

Divisional Head for the Youth Directorate, Adv Modise Koetle fashion experts Tumi Buys, Confidence Matshiva, David Tlale, Gift Senese, and the founder of The Hook Up Dinner (THUD), Selebogo Molefe, at the THUDEkurhuleni August edition.