2016 Entrepreneur of the Year Competition

SA's leading entrepreneural competition now open for entries

By Pamela Sibiya

One of the biggest financial services group in South Africa, Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS is proud to announce the launch of the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year competition.

Now in its 28th year, this renowned competition pays homage to courageous South African entrepreneurs who dedicate themselves to their businesses' growth. It is also in honour of the huge contribution by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to the South African economy.

This years' criteria is no different as it also seeks to recognise the importance of the contribution to job creation by SMEs by acknowledging them through recognition and promotion of their excellence.

Entrepreneurs who believe that they have succeeded against the odds, persevered through storms and have shown massive innovation and agility are some of the qualities that the judges are looking for.

There are also a number of quantative competition measures, such as turnover growth, profitability, owners' equity growth, positive cash flows and job creation that play a part in the competition's judging process.

There are five categories that the entrepreneurs can choose to apply to, namely, Emerging Entrepreneur, Small Business Entrepreneur, Medium Business Entrepreneur, Job Creator of the Year and Innovator of the Year.

Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply before the 16th of June, by downloading an online entry form found on the Entrepreneur Of the Year website, www.eoy.co.za.

They can also interact with fellow entrepreneurs and entrants on the competitions' social media platforms, @EOY_SA on Twitter and EOY SA on Facebook.

Opportunity for people in agriculture-related business in South Africa

Opportunity for people in agriculture-related business in South Africa

Have you started your own agriculture-related business, but are still looking for ways to improve and expand your knowledge? We’re seeking aspiring agribusiness entrepreneurs from South Africa for a new exchange opportunity!

Ideal applicants for this program are emerging entrepreneurs in agriculture and related fields.

Applicants should be between 25 to 40 years of age and have no previous travel to the U.S.; women and marginalized groups are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be accepted until July 30, 2014, and successful applicants will be invited to travel to the U.S. for a five-week experience in early October through early November.

This two-way educational exchange program, organized by the US Government and Oklahoma State University, will create professional relationships and learning experiences for selected African entrepreneurs.

During the Entrepreneurial Fellows’ stay in Oklahoma, they will participate in an orientation to learn about U.S. history and culture, technology and social media, business development, and customer service.

At the beginning of their second week, each Fellow will be paired for a three-week job-shadow experience with successful businesses, organizations, not-for-profits, government agencies and educational centers around Oklahoma.

Application can be completed online at - http://goo.gl/oniwzX

For more information about the project, please visit - http://goo.gl/5koomQ

Highlights From The Hookup Dinner Durban

Last night  I attended the inspiring Hookup Dinner.

This time the venue was GagasiFM which is situated in New Town Centre in Umhlanga Ridge.
There were many entrepreneurs in attendance and a few even pitched their business.  We heard from Events Companies and even a man who provides wedding and funeral insurance.

Our guest speakers were from the government and they showed us the intricacies of the tender world.

Here are some of the tips they shared with us:

• Remember to sign your tender, you will be surprised how many people forget to do that.
• Make sure you have your BEE Certificate and Tax Certificate, you will need it.
• Try not to be a jack of all trades, just focus on one niche.
• If you say you are experienced in a field you can be sure you will be asked if you have experience in that field.
• Try not to just provide a service, the government also wants to see that you will provide some sort of development opportunities for the future generations.
• There are many opportunities coming up for entrepreneurs including the building of a new museum and a possible Film Studio.  
• The City of Durban has a website where you can register on their supplier database.  You will need to do this if you want to tender, here is a link to their website: http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Government/Administration/Administrative%20Clusters/treasury/supply_chain_management/Application_City_Database/Pages/default.aspx

A great time was had by all the entrepreneurs and congratulations to Sphamandla who won the pitching session.

Will you win next time?

The Hookup Dinner has events countrywide.

To RSVP:  http://www.thehookupdinner.com/


Article by Fred Felton
Find him on Twitter @fredfelton