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#miISSUE30 WI miEditoria Note: Marole KH Mathabatha Five years ago we set in a lecture theatre at University of the Witwatersrand (best in Africa) to brainstorm around the idea of establishing Micampus Magazine. Today a few years later we are compiling Issue 30. A lot of people said we would never even reach 5000 twitter followers but today we are nearly on 7000 followers and will soon have 100 000 followers. The point here is to say that as young people we must work hard hence on page 14 we profile young hard working individuals. Youth day, Mandela day and all other many days have passed and Mjo captures this events well on page 10. On campus we are all about Fashion so on page 12 we look at campus trends. Different people are an inspiration in our life hence we encourage you to have strong relations (34) and be ambitious (30). Offcourse young people like KwestaDakar inspire us to reach out for our dreams. Read more about this Cool, Talented Rapper on Page 26 We enjoyed compiling this milestone issue and we hope you will also enjoy reading it. Yours in Nation Building MA-ROLIANHO
So Ma Hlen Jasm
INTER 2014 JULY-OCT editor in chief Mabogoshi Matlala Design and Layout Marole Mathabatha Skhumbuzo Mtshali
Webdesign Ayanda Malele
Marketing Brian Mahlangu
Contributors Nyiko Cage Mothekgi Mphahlele Nontobeko Lukuleni Odwa Mjo Pamela Setati Kaya Ngxiya
miTEAM
Tumelo Mashile
ocial Media anager ngiwe Radebe mine
Human Resource Manager Sphelele Mdala
Photographic Designer Bongani Mkhonza Coordinator Marole Mathabatha
CONTENTS #miAmbassador: Biography of Mothekgi Mphalele (UP Tuks) #miOpportunities: More than 100 Opportunities #miEvents: Mandela Day, Women’s Day, Heritage Day and Youth Day #miFashion: Whats Trending on Campus #miInspiration: Profiling SA’s Household Names SHOULD Bes #miJobs: Youth Unemployment, what to do. #miPoetry: June 16 and Mandela #miRes: Res, the home away from Home. #miSocialMedia: Would you hire the Online You? #miEntrepreneurship: Ministry of SMMEs #miCoverStory: The Cool, Young and talented KWESTA
#miMotivation: Why Ambition is Good For You #miPolitics: Young People in Parliament. #miInspiration: Upgrade your relationships
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34 26
16 20
24 30 18 14
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r o d a s s a b Am
Biography of Mothekgi
Raesetje Mphahlele
I am Mothekgi Mphahlele. I am a 20 year old female and I originally come from Limpopo. I am currently doing my second year in Bsocialscience(Industrial Sociology and Labour Studies) at the University of Pretoria. I major in Sociology and International Relations. I am very optimistic, driven and I want to be an inspiration to the youth. I am multilingual. I am an education and awareness volunteer at the Study Centre of Aids at the University. I am the founder and chairperson of Bathekgi foundation (a charity organisation). I am also a tuks ambassador for miCampus magazine and part time model. Some of my other interests include politics, marketing,fashion and entrepreneurship. My hobbies include Modeling, Volunteering, reading, hanging out with friends, listening to drakes music.
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More THAN 1000 #miOpportunities GO TO
www.micampusmag.co.za/miBlog 9
mi Events MANDELA DAY In the month of July, South Africa and the rest of the world celebrate Mandela Day on the 18th in honour of the late Tata Nelson Mandela. To celebrate Mandela day people are encouraged to dedicate 67 minutes of their day to a good charitable cause such as volunteering their service at schools, children’s homes or disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
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SOUTH AFRICA COMMEMORATES JUNE 16, 38 years later the legacy of the Youth of 1976 still
lives on, June 16 2014 marked the 38th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising when thousands of students from township schools across Johannesburg participated in a march organised by the South African Students Movement (SASM) to protest against the implementation of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in township schools. Annually Youth Day is celebrated across the country to pay homage and to celebrate the courageous youth of 1976. Although Youth Day is commemorated yearly in South Africa one wonders about the heroes behind the Soweto Uprising of 1976 and where they are today. One of the faces behind the Soweto Uprising Tsietsi Mashinini now deceased, was the chairperson of the Action Committee which initiated what was meant to be a peaceful demonstration which then turned into violence when the thousands of students were confronted by armed police en route to Orlando stadium whereby the SASM Action Committee had organised a rally. Recent speculation around the identity of Mbuyisa Makhubo, who is the young man carrying the wounded Hector Pieterson in the famous photograph taken by Sam Nzima. Makhubo fled the country not long after the uprising , last year a man who was arrested 8 years prior in Canada on immigration charges is said to be Mbuyisa Makhubu. While others such as Tokyo Sexwale and Murphy Morobe continue to be active participants in South African politics. Every year on June 16, South Africans of all races from across South Africa take part in celebrations to remember the youth of 1976 and to commemorate the Soweto Uprising. The Cheesekids Organisation hosted an event in Soweto on June, 16 where volunteers recreated the march that took place on the same day 38 years ago, volunteers from various professions marched and stopped at four High schools en route to paint school buildings, to tutor Grade 12 learners and as well as to plant vegetable gardens. In Kimberley, Youth day celebrations were held at Galeshewe stadium where Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a keynote speech. The City of Cape Town in commemoration of Youth day hosted a Youth In Action event which consisted of Workshops and Career Expos, the purpose of the Youth In Action initiative was to inspire young people by exposing them to various career fields.
Womens Day On the 9th of August South Africa celebrates women’s day in commemoration of the march to the Union Buildings in 1956 whereby women across all races marched in Protest of the pass laws which were introduced by the apartheid government in order to restrict the movement of black people in South Africa. Every year on the 9th August women from all professions and all spectrums of life are celebrated and various events and activities are hosted to celebrate this day.
Heritage Day
South Africa takes pride in its diversity and all cultures, races and ethnic groups on the 24th of September celebrate National Heritage Day. This day is celebrated differently across different cultures. Cultural events, concerts and other activities take place across the country to celebrate the heritage and diversity of South Africa. Many people dress in their respective traditional attires as a way of celebrating their heritage. Heritage Day has also become commonly known as National Braai Day by many South Africans, in celebration of Heritage day many South Africans get together with friends and family and enjoy a good old South African braai. By Odwa Mjo
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miFashion What is Trending....
The colder months have hit us, and just like that we find ourselves having to bulk up a bit more to keep from hypothermia. Although the days are darker- and quite frankly a bit more miserable- in no way should that reflect in your wardrobe choices! The fashion gods in the form of Alexander McQueen and BCBG Max Azria have spoken. Their winter collections have ensured that all fashion lovers are spoilt for choice – from McQueen’s Pre-Autumn/Winter 2014/15 collection which was heavily-influenced by the popular series Game of Thrones, to the much happier pastel palette seen on the BCBG Max Azria runway- there is absolutely no excuse to be caught looking as dreary as the weather! Here’s how you can translate those runway looks into daily, wearble fashion…
Another trendy way to keep from freezing this winter is by donning an oversized sweater. The added advantage of this winter item is that you can layer up as much as it takes to keep you warm and still look laid-back and on-trend. One thing to keep in mind when rocking this trend is to keep your bottom half form-fitting in order to avoid looking like a hobo!
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No winter look is complete without the ever-faithful gloves and boots. This season you can keep frostbite at bay by opting for leather gloves- just to add a bit of edge (and extra warmth) to your overall look. To up the ante even more, you can go for knee-high boots which are available in a variety of styles to take you from day to night, and can be worn with pretty much anything! Pick flat ones for a relaxed day look, and amp it up with a pair of stiletto thigh-highs fora night out on the town. With these sexy, trendy and functional fashion items, there is no way you will complain about winter blues! by Pamela Setati
And just because this column is about all things fashion, it doesn’t mean that we have forgotten about the fellas! Now while a lot of our male counterparts usually skip the fashion pages, here at MiCampus we would definitely encourage you to keep reading. For most guys, fashion can seem like a bit of a minefield, and perhaps a bit intimidating . However, once you get the basics right, it needn’t be a hard or tedious task- just stock up on a few basics, add a few subtle and understated accessories, and voilah- before you know it you too can be the GQ type of guy without even trying. Here are a few of our favourite finds- guys who are doing this whole fashion thing right. From casual to suited-up, they are proof that there is nothing “tedious” about always putting our best foot forward. Just remember to keep the lines clean, classic and when in doubt- stick to neutral tones. Do not be afraid to take risks though- a well-dressed man makes a bigger and better impression than one who just hap-hazardly throws clothing items together! Take heed!
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mi
n InspiratibyoNonbeko Lekhuleni
The story of inspirational people reminds me of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph’s story shows a remarkable character, a young man who was faced with the worst odds because of his big dreams, but he persevered and looked towards his bright future until his dreams became alive at the age of 30 years. This article profiles the Joseph’s of today, who in their young age are doing great exploits. Ludwick Marishane was born in 23 May 1990, is the Founder & chief of Headboy Industries Inc. and SA’s youngest patent holder after inventing DryBath. Marishane was still in highschool when he thought of DryBath, a gel that does all the work of a bath without the need for water. His idea was inspired who was too lazy to bath. He compiled a business plan, applied for a patent and launched his start-up called Headboy Industries. He lived in the rural province of Limpopo and wasn’t exposed to many resources. He did most of his research on Google and Wikipedia using his cell phone to connect to the internet.
Ludwick Marishane (22)
The DryBath idea won him the organization’s Global Students Entrepreneur of the Year award along with $100000 in cash to finance his start-up. He was studying at the University of Cape Town at the time when he beat out
1600 other student nominees from around the world. He was a 4th year commerce student and today holds a BBusSc-Finance &Accounting degree. Google named in as one of the 12 brightest young minds in the world in 2011. He shows us today that nothing is impossible, only if you believe.
Siyabulela Xuza
At 25 years had a minor planet named after him by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in recognition to his innovation in homemade rocket fuel. The planet was discovered in 2000 and renamed 23182 siyaxuza. Xuza grew up in a small town at Mthatha, Eastern Cape. He had a burning desire to know how things worked. He was inspired by Mark Shuttleworth’s exploration into space and began experimenting with rocket fuel. His experiment led to the launch of a real home-built rocket which earned him the junior South African amateur high-powered altitude record. The record was propelled by Xuza’s own invention: a cheaper safer type of rocket fuel, which became the subject of the project titled African space which won him a gold medal in 2006 Eskom National Science Expo as well as a trip to Nobel Prize ceremony at Sweden where he presented his work to the Swedish king and queen. He studied an engineering degree along with Mandarin language, debating and world music at Harvard. He believes that people cannot rely purely on engineering to develop the world; they need to understand art and society. He says that to be a great engineer you have to be creative. His concern is storing energy and did his thesis on energy storage platform based on micro fuel cells. In 2011 he became a fellow of the Kairos Society, a global network of top student and global leaders using entrepreneurship and innovation to solve the world’s greatest challenges.
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Bokang Monjane was born on 5 May 1986 and was crowned Miss SA in 2010. She a business woman and runs her own Public Relations company, Bokang Monjane Foundation. Owner of events management company and the MD of a modelling agency in Auckland Park. Bokang was born and raised in the village of Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo. She received her education at the University of Johannesburg where she attained a Public Relations Management Diploma. Prior being crowned Miss SA she entered Miss Earth in 2007 and was a Top 16 semi-finalist. She also received a Beauty for a Cause award. In 2011 she entered Miss Universe and Miss World and was named Miss World Africa. Today Bokang representing Bokang Monjane Foundation has partnered with NYDA as one of NPO to deliver health and wellbeing programmes to youth nationally. The overall programme aims to tackle issues of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections HIV &AIDS, alcohol and substance as well as best practices in ensuring mental and physical health. Combatting teenage pregnancy has been a passion to her since she was crowned Miss SA in 2010. She is a Cell C Ambassador and has partnered with Cell C on the Dare to Dream School Campaign. This campaign aims to combat teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and to encourage, inspire and motivate learners by instilling self-esteem and confidence in the youth. She continues to be a world changer, even though she is not seating on the throne anymore. Tebogo Ditshego (29) is the Chief Executive of Ditshego Media, his very own
Inventors Company and the Founder of the South Africa’s Reading Foundation and its division Readabooksa. Dishego was born on 26 September 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He studied Public Relations at the University of Johannesburg where he was a member of the SRC. He used his own funds to set up Ditshego Media in 2011. He was egged on by his eagerness to help solve South Aftrica’s unemployment problem. He is a Public Relations expert specialising in Media Relations, Investor Relations, Reputation Management Corporate Communications, Press Release and Opinion Piece Writing. His written woks are well received in the mainstream media and he has excelled in strategic Public Relations related work. Ditshego was in Africa’s strong top 30 Forbes list of promising young entrepreneur.
Jonathan Liebmann (29) In 2007, Liebmann founded Propertuity the
business vehicle that is responsible for the total transformation of Mobaneng Precinct. Liebmann came back from overseas after a gap year and longed for the urban lifestyle he had experienced and come to love in the cities around the world. He recognized that there was a gap in Johannesburg. When he was only 18 years old he purchased and renovated a few flats which was his how he gained experience in property. After converting a small factory space near 44 Stanely in Milpark he realised that he wanted to become a property developer. Urban renewal takes the forward thinking of a major or no-nonsense police chief to clean up the crime and the strategic input and collective effort of a dedicated municipality. He single handedly breathed life into Maboneng. Maboneng has attracted individuals, businesses, tourist, and retailers. Arts on main is a mixed use artistic hub Johannesburg’s downtown Maboneng Precinct. The creative centre offers Joburgers a wide wide range of multidisciplinary events, galleries and shops. It is a blend of creative office, gallery and retail spaces and brings together the best Johannesburg’s art, artists, eateries, urban office space and high profile events. It took for Liebmann to have a vision to turn Maboneng from being a crime-ridden and dilapidated to be a sought-after, trendy place to be at. These are the traits of being a success, a Joseph of today’s generation. Don’t look at yourself and say I am only a youth, what can I do? Be inspired by Marishane who at the age of 22 is the Chief and Founder of Headboy Industries Inc. Have a vision, know where you are going in your life. Liebmann was 18 when he discovred who he was and where he was going. Have a drive and know that nothing is impossible. Be inspired and be world-changers! By Nontobeko Lekhuleni
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miJobs by Khaya Ngxiya
Youth Unemploym
One of the social challenges in South Africa is unemploy and acquired qualifications are struggling. The number o has increased and keeps on increasing. The question is, create jobs and better people’s lives.
South Africa is amongst the developing countries in the c for too long. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) ever since then the number of jobless, has hovered arou There are countless graduates sitting at home with their ing a job. With limited jobs and a mounting sense of desp to be keen to seek alternative, or indeed any, forms of em is that youth are just doing nothing and waiting on the go the case but truth is they do need assistance from the go
The belief, in some, is that ‘any road that gets you to the precious youth being involved in crime and corruption. S Is it simply that there are no jobs or is it that young peop studies or aspirations for a (much) better life? Unlike oth work experience but more theory and this affects them w lacking as it is though, more much more needs to be don valuable to develop critical learning, analysis and interpr As rare as opportunities are in South Africa, they are ava There are youth development programs out there to assi just sit and wait on the government to fulfill its empty pro work without getting paid while acquiring experience. Of come out something. In South Africa, there is a third dim and of the unknown. So whilst it’s true that South African loath to take just any job, given the chance most are willi both hands the opportunity to shine.
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ment: What to do? by Khaya Ngxiya
yment, many people including those who have gone to school of jobless, including those too discouraged to keep looking, , are there no jobs in South Africa and what can be done to
continent but this widespread challenge has been going on ) came to power in 1994 on a promise of “Jobs, jobs!” But und 30%. This is a tragedy and youth are affected by this. qualifications, some have more than one but it’s difficult findpair, one would expect the unemployed youth of South Africa mployment, but what resources do they have. The concern overnment while they should be innovative. Yes that might be overnment at least to get going.
e top is the right road’, but this is not the case as we see our So what is behind South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis? ple are reluctant to take jobs that are not in line with their her countries, South African graduates leave tertiary with no when looking for a job. We can’t blame our education system, ne from the government’s side. Formal education is vital and retive skills, but in a tight market the employer needs more. ailable and our youth needs to grab them with both hands. ist the youth, businesses are doing their best. Youth must not omises but wake up and be innovative. Volunteer if you can, course this is not to say settle for less but out of nothing can mension that is often forgotten, namely a deep fear of failure n Graduates have dreams of achieving great success and are ing, capable and eager to learn, and desperate to grab with
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mi Poetry 1976 June 16 1976 June 16 The 169th day of the year Approximately 20 000 students went on protest Against the introduction of Afrikaans being a medium 179 was given as the number of lost lives And an estimate of 700 another protestors spilled souls As a result Hecter Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo His sister Antoinette Sithole tagged by his side Yet few today still misinterpret the message behind this day After so much blood of a black nation was spilled So many souls were gone Youth day was born
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He is a son He is a son of South Africa He is a son of the abathembu tribe Born eQunu a world icon of ubuntu A true leader by birth Peace and forgiveness are words uttered by his mouth to his beautiful land Indeed a warrior which walked tall and talked most souls out of the apartheid regime A walk South Africans have never found easy Yet through his amazing capabilities he was prepared to die for freedom The ideal democratic society and a wish for better life for all was 46664 Robben Island a 27 years home address To Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Almost three decades tossing and turning on a concrete floor With no pillow resting his head on his elbows From the experiences and suffering a first black president emerged April 27 1994 a year of South Africa’s graduate 20 years of dribbled blood of our grans, mothers and fathers glimpse us today unit His plate fed a hungry child Indeed Li hambile iqhawe-lama-qhawe Lala ngo xolo Tata Composed by Nyiko Cage
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miRes
Res: The home away from home
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by Khaya Ngxiya Hundreds of students throughout the country have recently gone through a major transition in their lives as they try adapting to university life. With one semester completed, some are still finding the new life very difficult and some have already settled in. These young people are starting their careers, which mean many will be living away from their parents for the first time and facing the task of setting up a new life in a strange place with different people. But with all this, living on campus should feel like your “home away from home.� Starting university is not an exciting life-event as some would think, it involves full of changes, challenges and many demands on individual. Most of the students had left the parental home for the first time when they began their studies. This created emotional uncertainties, feeling homesick and guilty about leaving their parents, but some enjoyed their new-found freedom. Some come with expectations that are not met and they react negatively to that. There are disadvantages and advantages of living on campus and evidently, they affect first year students. Many struggle with the difficulties of independent living, such as organizing their day, household chores, and developing self-directed study skills. There is no mother who is going to do your laundry and cook for you while you are busy playing play station in your room, there is no school teacher who is going to drag you to do your homework, you are on your own and your academic success is dependent on you. With all these disadvantages mentioned, there are also advantages for living on campus. Studies show that students who live on campus perform better academically, have more contact with faculty and quickly adapt to the new life. As university is a diverse community, students have opportunities for interaction which contributes to their academic success and boost their self-confidence. The res, as they call it, is just a short walk away classrooms, laboratories and libraries, so they have much access to study resources than those living off-campus. This is not a burden students carry alone as it might also be felt by parents and they try to be supportive in every way they possibly can. Here you also find people who are doing the same course as you and you can form study groups which will help your academic success. It is also much easier to deal with all the assignments deadlines because you have 24 hour access to libraries and laboratories. With all this said, living on campus should feel like your home away from home and adapting to this new life should not be hard. There are many ways to connect with people and places; you need to come out of your comfort zone, make friends and join organizations. The best way to feel like you are a part of the community is to get involved. You might be afraid not to find any friends, worried how you will be perceived by other students, how you would get along with flatmates, and what expectations you would have to fulfil, as well as worrying about losing contact with their old friends, but over the weeks, you would have resolved these problems and settled in.
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miSocialMedia by Pamela Setati Before you press that “send” option on that tweet, pause for a bit. Think it through- what sort of impression would you get about the author of that post if you were reading it? Does this individual create the type of impression where you could potentially hire him or her? Are his/her views consistent with the values of your organisation? Is this be the type of person you would entrust with your organisation’s brand ethos? These are all the questions we (especially as prospective graduates and job-seekers) now have to consider when interacting on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and other sites. Until recently, one could possibly tweet to their heart’s delight; freely expressing whatever it is that is on his mind. This however, as recent research has illustrated, could be to the detriment of your career. Recruitment professionals have now made it part of their background search on potential candidates to look into all aspects of your life- going beyond just checking the credibility of your references and qualifications- and digging into your social media profile and tracing your virtual footprints. Your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts offer employers a glimpse of the real you and often these platforms are utilised to screen candidatesso you need to ensure that whatever you put out there would not potentially harm your chances of landing that dream job or create a negative impression about your character. Employment specialists have listed various reasons for perusing your social media accounts- from checking whether you would fit in with the company culture, learn more about your career experience or even try to find reasons not to hire you! A study conducted by a recruitment company found that of the employers that scan potential candidates’ online records, 34% of them cited the candidate’s online content as the main reason for not hiring them.
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The most popular reasons offered for not offering the candidate the job include a profile that contained: • Provocative or inappropriate photos • Inappropriate information • Evidence of drug or alcohol abuse (too much partying) • Poor grammatical/communication skills • Bad-mouthing of previous employers or specific organisations • Discriminatory remarks based on gender, religion or race All these factors inevitably influence people’s perception of you, and as unfair as it may be, first impressions do count! Recruitment specialists advise that in order to seem more “attractive” a total clean-up has to be done. The following are but a few of the things you can start doing today to stand out and attract the right kind of attention… • If you’re posting information about your qualifications or experiences, ensure that it is consistent across all the social platforms that you have • Refrain from posting pictures of you in compromising positions or in an inebriated state (if these are already out there, delete, delete, delete!) • Think twice about posting derogatory/sexually explicit/ offensive comments • Refrain from getting involved in “Twars” (Twitter Wars) where your reputation and character will most likely be tarnished • Avoid posting anything on “Student Confessions” accounts Although some social media accounts are meant to be fun and relatively harm-free, one has to always remember that “it’s not just Twitter”! Social media can also serve as a great networking tool- with some organisations even scanning for potential recruits online- which you could use to your advantage! Your digital footprint speaks volumes about you, and while you are not expected to have a timeline filled with Retweets of Forbes Magazine article links, it is essential to keep a good balance of a clean private life as well as projecting an image of someone who’s capable and professional- and can be a good fit for any organisation, regardless of the type of industry you are planning on getting into. Now, do you really want to press “send” of that tweet you’ve just typed?
Would you hire the online YOU?
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miEntrepreneurship Ministry of SMME’s
by Nonbeko Lekhuleni
The youth and the challenges facing youth is a growing problem because the youth population is increasing in numbers whilst not many of the youth are engaged in entrepreneurship. The problem to the youth is founded that most of the youth don’t have interest in entrepreneurship but just want a job and an income every month, not having interest in how it is generated or providing an income for other people as well. A large number of the youth is however not exposed to the knowledge of SMMEs establishment and are not aware of the resources the government has provided in developing and growing the economy as well as youth business. The Government has prioritised entrepreneurship and the advancement of Small Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMME’s) as the catalyst to achieving economic growth and development, as well as alleviating poverty. SMMEs encompass a very broad range of firms, from established traditional family businesses employing over a hundred people (mediumsized enterprises). While the upper end of the range is comparable to the SME population of developed countries, statistics reveal that an immense majority SMMEs are concentrated on the very lowest end.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is an organization established to help address the problems facing South African such as skills development and unemployment. NYDA provides funding for SME and SMMEs which is provided directly and through partners. It moves away from Youth Enterprise finance in the form of loans and more toward grant provisions. It stands with SMMEs to make Youth Development a priority by identifying and implementing solutions to address youth development challenges.
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I spoke to an economics student in his fourth year, Lloyd who is also an entrepreneur and owns his own business. He was willing to share his view about the establishment of SMMEs with respect to the youth and youth business. Unemployment in developing countries remains a harsh reality, particularly affecting the youth, who make up the majority of the South African population. The government initiated various SMME support institutions, with the primary mandate to provide financial support, concomitantly with non-financial support, however regardless of government support enunciated thereof, SMME's still encounter a wide variety of predicaments, exacerbated by the shrinking economy. It is imperative to allude, that SMMEs also foster skills development amongst the youth, in particular to those who lack tertiary education. Through well directed internal skills programmes, which provide competency, youth lacking formal education are enabled to find employment. SMMEs also provide work experience for youth with tertiary education, but lacking the prerequisite experience to enter the job market. Especially youth who have enrolled in college institutions which provide certificates and diploma's in vocational programmes. The primary purpose of such an initiative, was to encourage more youth involvement in entrepreneurship, instead of people looking for jobs, they can now create their jobs and in the process creating employment for other youth. This will also lead to an increase, in our Gross domestic product, thus providing a positive path to our shrinking economy.
SMMEs are of great relevance to the youth, in increasing youth employment opportunities. However it is important to note that SMMEs operate in very difficult situations, numerous factors lead to the closure of a large number of businesses and as a detriment not meeting loan pre-requisites, for expansionary capital and other needs. Lloyd suggests that the government does provide the structures for the youth to grow as entrepreneurs, but there are factors that need to be considered and it does cause a wide limitation for the youth, closing so many doors. He mentions that as a developing entrepreneur, he has not used these structures provided by the government but has used other means which were much easier to use for his start-up. The question is that has the government intentionally made it difficult to use these structures provided so that it seems that it is in real fact doing something to make a change and solve the problem we face with the country’s unemployment rate or are they being genuine?
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Why ambition is good for By Mothekgi Mphahlele
Ambition is the strong desire and determination to achieve success. Ambition keeps an individual striving for more. Ambition is a globally admired personality trait in an individual. Do you have certain goals that you want to achieve? Are you doing anything to achieve those goals? Here are some steps you can take for you to reach optimum success and life fulfillment.
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r you. 1. Set clear defined goals. You should set clear life goals; it is best if you put them on paper somewhere and start vital planning on how to achieve the goals. Knowing where you want to be in a year is just as important as knowing as knowing where you want to be in a decade. 2. Associate yourself with positive people. Networking is vital as it projects ambition. You should make use of the skills and knowledge of the people you meet. Meet people who have the same interests with you and share ideas with them, you’ll be surprised how people you surround yourself with have a great impact on what you become. 3. Have a lot of hobbies. Being involved in a lot of extra curriculum activities adds purpose to your life. It shows that you’re an individual who is willing to tackle challenges and improve yourself. Having a lot of hobbies makes you interesting and gives you plenty to talk about. 4. Be an approachable and confident individual. Let ambition be a process of self-development; acquire skills and knowledge in other fields. Good eye contact, confident body language, a smile, and the basic good manners of a greeting and introduction are vital when introducing you. Dress appropriately at all times, you can’t be wearing washed out jeans and a torn t-shirt and expect people to take you seriously. 5. Be decisive and influential. You should be able to make decisions that would be able to contribute to your success. Knowing your moral grounds as a person makes you admirable and influential. People who have charisma are more likely to be influential. 6. Accept Challenges. Take charge of situations and try stay ahead of the curve. Accept failures, because sometimes failure might be a stepping stone or direction towards something else. Grab opportunities that come your way and try keep up to date with your industry. 7. Reward yourself for your ongoing accomplishments. Reward yourself with small treats for your hard work. Through hard work there’s other big rewards coming your way but a little self-appreciation can add value to your life. Try something new, buy yourself a new item, take yourself out for lunch or breakfast and enjoy every minute of it. Live a little.
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Young Politicians in South By Mothekgi Mphahlele
After a long intense election period in South Africa, we have young members, Yusuf Cassim and Katlego Phala who are part of the DA selected candidates. They have been an inspiration to the vast majority of the youth in South Africa. They also paved a way for attainable future leadership for many of the youth. DA sets the record of having the youngest MP and he’s Yusuf Cassim (24) hailing all the way from Port Elizabeth. He is a Bcom(Accounting) graduate from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He is currently doing his Masters in Public Administration at NMMU. He is the founder of DASO NMMU, he launched the successful DA youth branch while he was doing his first year. He also led a Muslim Students’ Association at the NMMU and was a founding member and leader of its provincial structure in the Eastern Cape. He was also elected as the president of the 2012 NMMU SRC and he received an award for the most outstanding DASO member at the 2012 DA eastern Cape Provincial Congress. He was the DA Youth Federal Chairperson in 2013. He now serves as the Democratic Alliances Shadow Deputy Minister for Higher Education in the fifth Parliament.
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Africa.
Katlego Phala(22) is the youngest MPL in South Africa. She was born in Mankweng, Limpopo in April 1992. She is a member of a provincial legislature. She joined the DA two years ago. She was inspired by lack of service delivery and high crime levels to join politics. She also encountered several critics for joining the Democratic Alliance mostly because a lot of people still associate DA with racial discrimination against black people. She says she is looking forward to representing the youth and wants to ensure that their issues are addressed efficiently. Katlego is one of a few young who are involved in politics and she wants more youth to start engaging in politics because of the great effect it has on their future. She’s a young aspiring politician who is looking forward to grow her political career.
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Time to upgrade your relationships by Tumelo Mashile
If you have a grand vision for your future, it is absolutely crucial that you associate yourself with likeminded people who are going to guide you and play the role of cheerleaders as you take the road less travelled. Research clearly shows that your earning ability, and to a certain extent your health is greatly influenced by those closest to you. Generally speaking, if 9 of your friends are broke or unhealthy you are likely to become the tenth one. It is not by coincidence that Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were good friends and they became two of the most notable people who lead the industrial revolution. The company you keep will greatly influence where you end up in life. You can’t hang around people with no vision and expect them to propel and support you to achieve your dreams.
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But why do we sometimes hang around people we shouldn’t be hanging with? One of the reasons is that we are scared to outgrow certain relationships. Just because you grew up together doesn’t mean you owe each other eternal loyalty. You can remain acquaintances but make sure that you only let people of real value and substance into your inner circle. Some people in our lives need to be downgraded to ‘people we know’ and we should never be apologetic or feel guilty about that. It’s either you growing or dying and guess what?, if the relationship is not helping you to grow it is slowly killing you. Another reason why we keep certain people in our inner circle who don’t belong there is because we want to remain in our comfort zone. If I remain friends with someone who is not on the same wavelength as me, a person with no global vision or the work ethic that I possess then in the eyes of that person I will be some sort of semi-god. I will become the clever one in the crew and praises will always be sung to me. Because we are not willing to stretch ourselves, we settle for mediocrity. Because we are scared of feeling vulnerable when in the presence of greatness, we prefer to be in the company of those who we believe have no chance of doing better than we are doing. Tragedy! It is said that if you are the smartest in your group, it’s time to find a new group.
If you are really going to be as great as you are meant to be, as great as you want to be, you need to evaluate your relationships with those around. You need to do a cost-benefit analysis on every relationship and based on the outcome you need to either demote or promote some people. It was Jim Rohn who said that life begins at the end of our comfort zones. Be willing to be vulnerable, be willing to be propelled into greatness by being in the company of those who are heading to a similar destination as you. Chances are that you are competitive and being in the company of people doing great things might be daunting initially but it is for your own good and the rewards are immense. It will force you to push yourself even harder. Remember that your net worth (just like everything in life) is directly influenced by your network, so in order to change your net worth you need to change or better manage your network. Tumelo Mashile is a water treatment engineer and an entrepreneur
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