Eskom was today able to meet the country’s electricity demands while performing the requisite maintenance on its power generating plants.
 
Eskom’s corporate social investment vehicle, the Eskom Development Foundation, believes that young people should be taught early on that instead of studying to be job seekers, they could learn the skills to start and run successful businesses and become job creators. We can begin to eliminate underdevelopment in our communities by teaching and encouraging young people to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career choice.
 
A perfect example of this philosophy is Ladysmith-born Ntokozo Hlongwane. The 26-year old entrepreneur is already dreaming of taking his business venture, Ntokozo Hlongwane International (NHI), to dizzying heights of success and having a presence across the entire South Africa.
 
Despite his humble beginnings in Ladysmith, where he and his siblings were raised by his mother - a single parent - Hlongwane always believed that he was destined for big things in life. “I believed that nothing could stand in my way despite growing up in poverty and often going to school and coming back home on an empty stomach. My mother was earning R150 a week doing odd jobs like washing and ironing people’s clothes.”
 
The entrepreneurship journey for Hlongwane began in 2007, while in Grade 11, when he was introduced to the Youth Enterprise Society (YES), an initiative run by the Education With Enterprise Trust (EWET) with support from the Eskom Development Foundation.
 
When Hlongwane joined the YES programme along with some of his school mates, they started a garden in their school where they planted a variety of vegetables. “I was so excited because I started bringing vegetables home and as a result, the situation improved slightly as we now had something to eat. Because of the vegetable garden, we were able to feed our families, sell some and still manage to donate to needy families in our township. The YES programme has had a hugely positive impact on my life and career,” enthuses Hlongwane.
 
Hlongwane’s business was mostly born out of his own failures and challenges. After failing and having to repeat his Grade 8, he used it as a turning point in his life and decided he would never fail again. He applied himself and thought of ways he could reinvent his studying and as a result, achieved five As and two Bs in Grade 12. In 2012, Hlongwane published his book, ‘How to finish Grade 12 with Maximum Distinctions’, which he had started writing while in Grade 12 in 2008.
 
Through his company, NHI, Hlongwane does motivational speaking, life and career coaching, self-discovery, achievement mentorship, image consulting as well as personal and character development. “I travel around the country and speak to thousands of learners, teaching them how to excel in their studies. I have 15 people working with me.  The business is very successful as I have partnered with the Department of Basic Education in dealing with the failure rate we are facing in our country. My talks are in such high demand that I often have to decline invitations, however I’m planning on training more people who are as passionate as I am about youth development. I just want to create and leave a trail of positive change,” declares Hlongwane.
 
“I owe much of my success to the YES programme, which opened my eyes to a whole world I didn’t know existed. Being a YES member changes your life and helps you discover your full potential. Amongst others, the skills I learned through the programme are leadership, business, time management, communication, interpersonal, presentation, planning, public speaking and research,” says Hlongwane.
 
The YES programme runs in parallel to the Eskom Development Foundation’s annual Simama Ranta schools competition, which aims to identify and pay homage to South African secondary schools that are exemplars in entrepreneurship education. In line with YES, Simama Ranta seeks to teach and encourage young people like Hlongwane, to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice and that instead of studying to be job seekers, they could learn the skills to start and run successful businesses and become job creators themselves.
 
We will continue to provide regular updates on the state of the power system through various media platforms.