- The Ivati Music, Art, Sports, Fashion conference in Nyanga brought together young people to inspire them in business, sports, and fashion.
- Organisers and speakers aimed to shift perceptions and provide positive role models for the youth.
- Attendees were given the platform to ask questions and explore opportunities for future success.
Zolani Centre in Nyanga was packed to the rafters during the Ivati Music, Art, Sports, Fashion conference held on Saturday 19 October.
The event organiser and founder of Ivati Water, Sello Mangwana said the aim is to encourage and empower young people in and the surrounding communities.
Ivati Water produces sparkling and flavoured water.
Mangwana described the gathering as part of giving the young people and upcoming business people an opportunity to raise questions about business in general. He said most of the people who attended the event were those interested in business.
Mangwana described the conference as an annual event. “This is the second annual event. We are gathering here as business and sports people to share our experience with young people.
“We invited young people, including high school learners to motivate and give them a platform to ask any questions they want to ask,” said Mangwana.
Inspiring
He said they wanted the young people to see them as their role models. He stated that they aimed to instil the business mentality among them.
“Most of the children see criminals as their role models because these are the only people that they see in their communities. We want to change the perception that people have about Nyanga, which is a murder capital. People must know that not everyone in Nyanga is a criminal. There are good people who are doing good things,” he said, adding that they wanted to come out so people could see them.
Busisiwe Mvinjelwa, a fashion designer from Gugulethu, told their audience that their background should not determine their future. She encouraged the young people to live their dreams.
“The major problem within the black community is that we are not united and sometimes we are jealous of each other. We need to stop that and work together. There are a lot of opportunities out there, but we need a right way to find them,” she said and urged them to associate with good people.
She urged young girls to keep on dreaming and not to relax or abandon their dreams when they get married.
One of those attending, Lukhanyo Willies from Maumau, described the conference as educational.
He praised the speakers for motivating and instilling confidence in them.
“After I matriculated in 2019, I struggled to get a job until I decided to open a car wash. My dream is to open other businesses like restaurants or a tshisa nyama to make more money,” he said.
