YOUNG DREAMS
business opportunities in South Africa and the world
Sideline Business Opportunities
Bakery Business Opportunities
Education & Training Business Ideas in South Africa
Graphic Design Business Opportunities in South Africa
Township Business Opportunities in SA
YOUTH ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The skills needed to take an idea and turn it into a thriving reality are not as complex or mysterious as people believe. Learn them with us and take your first steps towards personal greatness.
Our Youth Enterprise Development Programme is a richly layered educational experience that takes passionate achievers from the ages of 18 to 35 and teaches them how to establish a sustainable business.
In the first six months of this year-long incubator style programme, participants start up and learn to run sustainable businesses, where they are guided to implement the theory as they learn through the provision of facilitation and support. The students are introduced to an array of entrepreneurial concepts that inspires them and builds their business confidence. The training includes site visits, case studies and guest speakers.
In the latter six months, after the course work is complete, participants receive ongoing support and mentorship and they are also introduced to micro-finance institutions as options for funding their businesses going forward. Graduates receive a JA South Africa and an NQF level 4 Services Seta accredited certificate.
To qualify for the Youth Enterprise Development Programme, students need to be:
- between the ages of 18 and 35;
- comfortable with speaking, writing and understanding English;
- free from employment commitments and not be a full time student;
- able to demonstrate a keen interest in starting a business as this will grant them preferred entry;
- self-starters who are motivated and enthusiastic and willing to contribute to the programme by investing their time and effort; and
- prepared to commit completely to the duration of the three to four month course.
The Youth Enterprise Development Programme will guide students along the path to personal success by teaching participants to:
- grow interpersonal skills and become a valuable member of any team;
- understand time management, business ethics, business planning and how to handle or create business functions;
- build an understanding of market research, operations planning and management;
- take control of their finances, marketing and branding; and
- handle problems with integrity and wisdom, and make decisions for the right reasons and in high pressure situations.
“JA South Africa is an umbrella to those who want to get involved in business because they offer an important support structure.”
Collaborative approach
YES is a business-driven initiative which is breaking new ground by pioneering a partnership with government and labour, in collectively tackling a national plan to build economic pathways for black youth. You are empowered through this programme to contribute and to be a co-creator of a future that works. Given the scale and implications of South Africa’s youth unemployment situation, the country cannot afford to fail.
Who are we?
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is a South African-based agency established primarily to tackle challenges that the nation’s youth are faced with. The NYDA was established by an Act of parliament, Act no 54 of 2008.The agency derives its mandate from legislative frameworks such as the NYDA Act (54 of 2008), the National Youth Policy (2009-2014) and the draft Integrated Youth Development Strategy as adopted by the Youth Convention of 2006.
The institution was established to be a single, unitary structure, established to address youth development issues at National, Provincial and Local government level. The existence of the NYDA should be located within the broad context of South Africa’s development dynamics. Like many developing countries, South Africa has a large population of youth, those between the ages 14-35 represent 42% of the total population.
Given the youthful nature of the South African population, much of the socio-economic challenges faced by the nation, including poverty, inequality and joblessness, poor health are largely encountered by the youth. The gravity of challenges South Africa is faced with, require multi-pronged efforts that simultaneously promote the development of sustainable livelihoods, reduce poverty, inequality and prioritise the development of policies which create an enabling environment for youth development.The NYDA plays a leading role in ensuring that all major stakeholders such as the government, private sector and civil society, prioritise youth development and contribute towards identifying and implementing long-lasting solutions that address youth development challenges. Furthermore, the NYDA designs and implements programmes that are aimed at improving the lives of young people, as well as avail opportunities to youth. These programmes could be clustered as follows:
- Individual (Micro) level: The NYDA provides direct services to youth in the form of information provision, career guidance services, mentorship, skills development and training, entrepreneurial development and support, health awareness programmes and involvement in sport.
- Community (Meso) level: The NYDA encourages young people to be catalysts for change in their communities through involvement in community development activities, social cohesion initiatives, National Youth Service programmes and social dialogues.
- Provincial and National (Macro) level: Through its policy development, partnerships and research programmes, the NYDA facilitates the participation of youth in developing key policy inputs, which shape the socio-economic landscape of South Africa.
