By Mulalo Luvhimbi
Small Business Development Minister Stella Tembisa Ndabeni says South Africa’s education system must do more to prepare young people to create businesses and employment opportunities rather than simply seek jobs.
“For many years, our education system has largely prepared learners to complete their studies and seek employment. While employment remains important, we must also prepare our young people to become innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of employment opportunities,” she said while speaking at eMthunzini Primary School in Mamelodi, Pretoria, on Thursday.
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Ndabeni returned to the school to hand over business equipment and supplies, fulfilling a commitment made during an Entrepreneurship Market Day held in October last year.
The event gave pupils an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their business ideas.
Ndabeni said the government’s National Entrepreneurship Strategy sought to strengthen entrepreneurship education, skills development and a culture of enterprise.
“We want learners to understand that entrepreneurship is not something that begins only after completing school or obtaining a qualification. It can begin with a simple idea, identifying a need within the community and finding a creative way to address that need,” she said.
The equipment handed over on Thursday was intended to support business activities identified by learners during last year’s event.
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These included stock for a school spaza shop, a gas braai for preparing wors rolls and a baking oven for baking and coffee-related activities.
Learners interested in agriculture received seedlings, while those exploring beauty and personal care businesses were supported with makeup kits, hair clippers and massage equipment.
The department also provided a DJ controller, art supplies, knitting and beadwork materials, and video-content creation equipment.
Other supplies included sneaker-cleaning products, car-washing equipment and chemicals, as well as a voucher for a gaming booth.
“This handover is not simply about donating equipment. It is about investing in skills, building confidence and creating an environment in which young people can learn the fundamentals of running a business,” Ndabeni said.
She said South Africa’s challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality required new approaches to preparing young people for economic participation.
But she also said that successful entrepreneurship involved more than generating sales.
“Young entrepreneurs must learn how to calculate costs, manage income, save, reinvest and grow their businesses.”
She also called on teachers and school management to ensure that the equipment was properly maintained and incorporated into ongoing learning activities.
Educators were encouraged to teach learners basic financial recordkeeping, business costs, teamwork and sustainable management.
The minister said the programme’s success would be measured by the knowledge and business skills learners developed, rather than the equipment they received.
She told parents and communities to support young people’s entrepreneurial ambitions and said she hoped to return to the school to hear how former learners had used their experiences to establish businesses.
“The businesses of tomorrow can begin with the ideas and practical lessons you develop in your classrooms today,” she said.
