Finalists from Cape Town and Free State take 2nd and 3rd place, respectively
Anda Maqanda, a young entrepreneur based in Port Elizabeth, who owns AM Group, an engineering business, has been named the winner of the South African Breweries’ (SAB) youth entrepreneurship programme, SAB KickStart 2013.
In 2nd place is Lyle Truter of Cape Town, owner of Tru PVC Products, which specialises in PVC pipe fabrication and fittings; and in 3rd place, is Ricardo Hood based in Sasolburg in the Free State, who owns SIH Training which provides training in welding and artisanship.
The announcement was made during a gala awards dinner to celebrate the programme's 14 national finalists and to announce the top 3 entrepreneurs at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, last night.
All the finalists recently ended an intense 12-month individualised mentorship and business development support programme which forms part of the SAB KickStart competition package.
As the SAB KickStart 2013 winner, Anda receives a grant for his business of R500 000, as well as an international business learning trip to Beijing, China, worth R100 000. This is in addition to an initial grant of R157 000 which he received for his business after reaching the national and final phase of SAB KickStart earlier this year.
Lyle and Ricardo receive grants of R250 000 and R150 000, and international business learning trips to Utah in the United States and Tokyo, Japan, respectively valued at R100 000 each. Each received a grant of more than R100 000 at the start of the national phase.
Anda, originally from rural Dutywa in the Eastern Cape, is a Masters graduate in Electrical Engineering from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and established AM Group, which specialises in electrical design for the mining sector, in 2008 after working in the public and private industry.
The independent panel of judges who selected the final three winners commended Anda for breaking into a challenging industry and addressing a critical skills shortage in the engineering industry. He was also praised for having improved his businesses operational capability and asset base. Furthermore, the judges commented that Anda had shown the ability to overcome prejudice in the business world and his maturity as an entrepreneur had grown since entering SAB KickStart.
"It is a proud moment for SAB to celebrate the strides each of the SAB KickStart finalists have made as entrepreneurs, as well as the growth their businesses have experienced during this journey.
We are confident that they now have the right tools with which to move into the future in order for them to have an impact on South Africa's economy and in society, " says Boipelo Nkadimeng, SAB Manager Enterprise Development.
Each of the three winner's businesses created a number of jobs while participating in SAB KickStart. Anda's business employs a total of 15 people after creating an additional 10 jobs; Lyle employs 14 after creating 5 more and Ricardo employs a total of 23 having created an additional 18 jobs during SAB KickStart.
In total, the Top 14 finalists created a total of 68 full time and part time jobs in 2013.
The 2013 national finalists are the first group of SAB KickStarters, since its start in 1994, to complete the re-engineered model of the programme which is focused on developing and supporting sustainable youth-owned businesses and high impact entrepreneurs who are able to make a contribution to South Africa's job creation needs.
During their year-long participation in the programme, interventions help move each business from start-up to growth phase.
On reaching the national finalist phase, a needs analysis is conducted on each business to determine a grant of between R100 000 and R200 000; and the development of a strategic growth plan upon which their 12-month individualised mentorship and business development support is based.
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