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CULTIVATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITHIN MARGINALISED

COMMUNITIES

PO Box 150, 49c Stuart Street, Harrismith 9880 South Africa

Tel: (058) 6230104 /6230649/6230123 Fax: (058) 6230107 E-

Mail: ewet@ewet.org.zaRegistration no. 5961/92. Public Benefit Organization no. 930013786.

Non-profit registr. no. 000-383

YES (Youth Enterprise Society) SIMAMA RANTA

Learners who excelled within entrepreneurship education could enter forselection to participate within theYES (Youth Enterprise Society)Simama Ranta competition. This competition is open for entry to allstudents older than 16 years of age and who are either in Grade 10 or Grade11. Learners are selected for participation based upon their demonstratedcompetence within the following 8 areas: (i) understanding of

entrepreneurship as a career choice; (ii) understanding of importance ofbusiness ownership in a market-driven economy; (iii) understanding offinancial, human and social capital requirements in operating a business; (iv)ability to determine entrepreneurial opportunities, according to industry,location, etc; (v) knowledge of fundamental business methods such asplanning, financing, accounting and managing; (vi) skill in determining scopeof potential consumer markets and customer needs; (vii) leadership rolewithin extra-mural entrepreneurship activity; (viii) a workable start-upproducing some income.

The selected 8 learners who won from 9 provinces are invited to competewithin a 3 day event that went as follows up to now for illustration purposes:

on arrival participants from provinces got into 9 teams. Each participantreceived 1,000 Simas YES Simama Rantas own monetary system with 1Sima equalling the value of 1 South African Rand. Thus each team had accessto 8,000 Simas, depending on individual team members willingness to sharehis or her money with the team.

Members from different teams could easily distinguish each other throughdifferent colour dots that they wore on their name tags. On the first evening,the teams had to compete with each other in an auction where 9 lots orgroupings of equipment with consumables were presented to them. YESmembers received at arrival, inventories of the lots as part of theirregistration packs. These lots were organised by EWET around a specific

business idea although the idea as such was not announced. Participantteams also out-bid each other for a specific site for the location of theirventure. The auction coincided with tremendous excitement and the teamsstarted to jell with different members assuming different responsibilities androles.

mailto:ewet@ewet.org.zamailto:ewet@ewet.org.za

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The next day, the teams had the morning to set-up their businesses inorder to start trading after lunch, within the marquee tent. Businessdevelopment support services was available to participants at a fee and abank, if they needed such assistance.

Businesses initiated consisted of: Advertisers.com; Ocean Basket;

Radical Beauty Saloon; African Foot Print; Siyazibonisa Cinema & Photoshoots; Simma Pops; Excellent Coffee Caf Services; E-zone radiostation and Team 2.

When the businesses started to operate on the afternoon of the second day,around 110,000 Simas were in circulation. With-drawls and deposits kept thebank up to date on the financial status of each venture. Original signage bythe business ventures made an impression on customers that consisted ofmembers from other ventures as well as adjudicators, teachers, visitors,donor representatives, and others. Ventures that ran out of consumableswere able to replenish their stock through purchasing from wholesale thatwas provided for. YES members amazed observers with their creativity and in

dealing with their group dynamics for coming-up with pricing strategies,smoothing their production lines where relevant, negotiating deals betweenbusinesses, etc. Everybody experienced the excitement of the market place.Business operations continued until lunch of the next (third) day.

The afternoon saw the liquidation of the ventures with tough negotiationswith the bank to determine a reasonable prize for their stock, equipment aswell as for the site that they bought at the auction. All monies were depositedat the bank to enable the bank to determine which businesses ended up withthe biggest balance. The winning businesses were announced on the eveningof the third day.

YES Simama Ranta represents a simulation utilised as an assessment centrewhere each of the individual participants are continuously assessed bybusiness people and by their peers. The ratings received during each of thesessions are consolidated to rank all participating learners from first placedownwards. Exceptional entrepreneurial talent had been unearthed amongstthese young people during past YES Simama Rantas, which lead to careeropportunities offered to them.

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