Youngsters dreaming of one day building a successful business recently got a head start with the launch of the Entrepreneurship Academy 2025 at Zwelenthemba High School on Thursday (13 March).
This initiative, which aims at developing the next generation of business leaders in the Boland, is a collaboration between Access Network Africa and The Sarel and Hettie Pool Charitable Trust.
Teachers at Zwelethemba High, as the host school, nominated learners based on their leadership potential, entrepreneurial mindset, and eagerness to make a difference in their community. Once nominated, students go through an application and selection process, ensuring that those who join the programme are committed to developing their skills and launching real businesses. In the nine-month programme, participants will receive mentorship, business training, equipping them with hands-on experience in business development.
Born and raised in Worcester, Arthur Mexico, founder of Access Network Africa, said that with more than R150,000 invested in the local economy, the initiative is not just about education, but a direct investment into the local economy. The programme will provide learners with the resources, training, and mentorship necessary to launch and sustain real businesses, ensuring their ventures contribute to the community’s economic growth.
The course will teach learners to identify business opportunities and community challenges, develop innovative solutions using design thinking methodologies, gain essential financial literacy and business management skills and receive ongoing mentorship to grow their businesses.
