Enactus UKZN Impresses Hibiscus Coast Municipality at Youth Business Gala Dinner

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A group of Enactus UKZN students represented the organisation at the annual Hibiscus Coast Municipality Youth Business Gala Dinner, hosted by the Youth Development Unit of the Hibiscus Coast Municipality.

Popular radio presenter, Alex Mthiyane of Gagasi FM was the Programme Director for the event while the Mayor of Hibiscus Coast Municipality, Ms Nomusa Mqwebu, officially opened the event.

Hibiscus Coast Municipality Councillor, Ms Nomusa Mqwebu, welcomed guests, who included local government councillors, senior managers, and Hibiscus Youth Council members.

Mqwebu told the audience the Hibiscus Coast Municipality was committed to helping the youth get employment and stressed the importance of matriculants planning ahead by applying as early as October or November to get space into their institutions of choice.

Gospel Radio presenter, Nomfundo Mzolo of Igagasi FM, gave a motivational speech to the youth on ‘Rising up to the challenge’. She expressed her love for young people, saying that as long as there is the youth, there is hope’.

She further encouraged young people to have an entrepreneurial spirit saying: ‘as an entrepreneur, you will be part of a generation that will eradicate poverty’.

Other speakers included Hibiscus Coast Municipal Manager, Mr Max Mbili, and the event’s keynote speaker, Mr Frikkie Brooks of the Office of the KwaZulu-Natal Premier.

After the speeches, a discussion forum was opened with guests encouraged to ask questions on what they heard during the event as well as on issues related to how Hibiscus Coast was solving problems faced by the youth.

Enactus UKZN President, Mr Sizwesihle Gumede, asked whether the Hibiscus Coast provided programmes which educated communities about funding opportunities available for small businesses. This question was sparked by Brooks saying in his address that Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) not only trained and registered small businesses, but offered funding opportunities as well.

Mbili admitted that as a municipality they were not doing enough but were working on a plan of action to address those issues.

Enactus UKZN Deputy President and Town Planning Masters student, Ms Mbalenhle Ngidi, was concerned that postgraduates were not given enough funding opportunities while Enactus UKZN’s Head of Research and Development, Mr Nkanyiso Nyawose, asked about what the government was doing to assist initiatives and projects of development in communities.

Hibiscus Coast Youth Development Manager and the organiser of the Youth Business Gala, Mr Phumlani Mzobe, said he was pleased to see Enactus UKZN members actively participating in the discussion forum. ‘Through that interaction you have managed to popularise our organisation and you have acted as great brand ambassadors. Keep up the good work,’ Mzobe exclaimed.

Enactus UKZN continues to live up to their theme of: “Leaving their Enactus Footprint” where ever they go. The team’s vision for 2015 is to “Restore, Rebuild, and Reclaim”, and with the Enactus World Cup being hosted in South Africa for the very first time, the team is determined to work even harder to make sure that their beneficiaries will become empowered, self- sufficient entrepreneurs.

Bongeka Dlamini