Beyond 67 Minutes: The Legacy Mandela Really Wanted Us to Build

Every July, South Africans unite in service for Mandela Month, dedicating 67 minutes to honour his legacy. But what if we extended this commitment throughout the year to create lasting change in our communities? Mandela's life was never about symbolic acts. It was about sustained commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity. His legacy was built over decades of sacrifice, not moments of convenience. If we truly wish to honour him, our contribution to society should not begin and end in July...

16 Jul

The Wheel Does Not Need Reinventing. The Road Does.

The founder who builds that system is not reinventing the wheel. They are doing something in some ways more demanding, they are understanding the road well enough to build the infrastructure that makes the wheel work on it. That understanding does not emerge from a hackathon or a customer persona exercise. It emerges from proximity, from the kind of sustained, genuine engagement with a specific context that produces insight you cannot get from a market research report. It is, ultimately, the most important form of innovation available to a founder in this economy. Not what has never existed. What has never been made to work here...

9 Jul

From Violence to Economic Rupture: The Cost of Xenophobia

South Africa is already contending with stagnant economic growth, persistently high unemployment and declining business confidence, which makes attacks on entrepreneurs, regardless of nationality, one of the most self-defeating responses imaginable. Instead of addressing the pressures communities face, such violence destroys productive economic activity in places that need more investment, not less, and targets many of the very people doing what policymakers encourage: starting businesses, creating employment and generating income. This contradiction should not be ignored. Legitimate concerns about undocumented migration and weak border management must be taken seriously, and every sovereign state has both the right and responsibility to regulate immigration...

25 Jun

Youth Entrepreneurship Cannot Thrive on a Weak Foundation

Opportunity is only meaningful when it is accessible. If unemployed youth cannot reliably access the information, transport, safety, and support systems required to pursue those opportunities, then the promise remains largely theoretical. A house built on a weak foundation will not withstand pressure. The same is true of entrepreneurship...

24 Jun

22 On Sloane Launches Version Three Of The Township Digital Market Access Programme In The Western Cape

The programme launched in June 2024 is designed to address persistent barriers to digital participation, particularly limited digital literacy and restricted access to e-commerce marketplaces. Through structured training, technical onboarding and ongoing digital support, participating businesses will be capacitated to list and trade on leading South African e-commerce platforms. “Version three (3) represents a deliberate shift from access alone to preparedness and competitiveness,” says Bongani Ntombela, Executive: Programmes at 22 On Sloane...

18 Jun

The New Uprising: How South Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs Are Turning Freedom into Ownership

South Africa has a predominantly young population, with over 26 million people between the ages of 15 and 34. Yet this generation faces a difficult reality. According to Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment for those aged 15 to 34 stands at over 46%, making it one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally. For many young people, a traditional job remains out of reach. But something remarkable is happening. Instead of waiting for opportunities, many young South Africans are creating them. This is visible across townships, cities, and rural communities. Young entrepreneurs are launching technology startups, fashion brands, logistics companies, digital agencies, agricultural enterprises, and social businesses...

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22 On Sloane is the largest startup campus in Africa. The campus offers disruptive startups and innovative SMEs a complete turnkey solution to scale, from the initial idea all the way to commercialisation, funding opportunities and access to markets. Its aim is to nurture the entrepreneurial mindset, ensure their sustainability, and explore development of new industries and contribute towards job creation in Africa.