The Steve Biko Union Building played host to the inaugural edition of the Red Bull Amaphiko campus connect session, at Rhodes University.
The Steve Biko Union Building played host to the inaugural edition of the Red Bull Amaphiko campus connect session, at Rhodes University.
This five-hour event saw the Rhodes Entrepreneurship Society merging with the Red Bull Amaphiko team. The two parties had a clear objective, which was to equip budding social entrepreneurs with the tools, inspiration and connections to help them realise their desired impact on their respective communities.
It challenged the members of the small but active crowd to come up with business models that can be of assistance, with regards to a particular need in their communities, and it is perhaps that particular focus, that helped set this event apart from any other entrepreneurial workshop. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the room, where humour and laughter by the guests and crowd were coupled with serious questions and strong opinions, which resembled the significance of the platform.
One of the esteemed guests at the event was Thato Kgatlhanye, a 23-year- old entrepreneur who also is the CEO of Rethaka (Pty) Ltd. Kgatlhanye identified a need for schoolbags among kids in her township, which prompted her to created more durable and environmentally friendly bags instead. The innovation behind these bags included using up-cycled plastic bags, Integrating solar technology and batteries to provide light for learners to study after dark.
The message she preached the most to the crowd was the significance of being a “doer”. She asked the crowd about their age, before telling them that she was 21 when her entrepreneurial journey took off. The motive for using her then age was to boost those in attendance and to remind them that they are already at a stage, where they can make successful advances.
Among Kgatlhanye’s accolades is winning the ELLE international impact2 award, as well as being featured on CNBC Africa and Forbes.
She is now in partnership with corporations such as MTN foundation as well PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Bantu Ndlela, an organisational psychology student who was in attendance, spoke about his personal experience of the workshop “It was a very enlightening event for aspiring entrepreneurs as we are looking for platforms and methods to design our plans, such as research marketing that goes into starting a business,” he said.
Ndlela also offered words of advice for the next workshop: “Where they could improve is by offering more practical examples, such as the presenting on-the-spot activity we did which I appreciated and enjoyed."
Red Bull Student Brand Manager of Rhodes University, Mohato Makalima rounded up the day’s proceedings: “We aimed to empower the youth with skills and tools to go out there and either turn their idea into a sustainable business, or add value to the growth of businesses which are starting up,” he said.
Quizzed on whether he felt the objective of the day was fulfilled he said: “I feel like today we made a step in the right direction by having this session”.
The BA law and organisation psychology major concluded by saying: “Ultimately we succeeded in reaching our aim, as there was positive feedback from the attendees which affirmed that notion.”
