Top 100 ready for action in the 2023 #YouthStart Entrepreneurial Challenge

05 May 2023

The City of Cape Town’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department last night hosted the launch of the annual #YouthStartCT entrepreneurial challenge at the Banqueting Hall, Civic Centre. 

Last month, the City's Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department invited young entrepreneurs, aged 18 – 35, to apply for participation in the #YouthStartCT Entrepreneurial Challenge.

For the first time, #YouthStartCT is splitting the existing youth businesses from the business ideas.

The aim is to help stimulate small businesses and/or ideas through skills development and innovation, and ultimately contribute to job creation. 

'Entrepreneurship is key to respond to the triple threat of poverty, unemployment and inequality. This challenge aims to provide young Cape Town entrepreneurs with an opportunity to either grow their business or get it off the ground. We are interested in your start-up ideas, to evaluate and support its potential to contribute to the job market.

'Entrepreneurship drives the growth and diversification of the economy and contributes to the creation of wealth. Our beautiful evolving City of Cape Town needs you, your ideas and enthusiasm to respond to the pressures. Start-ups and SMMEs are very important actors to grow the economy and respond to the triple threat of poverty, inequality and unemployment,' said Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews, who delivered the keynote address.

This year's business categories include agriculture/farming, tourism, finance and business services, manufacturing and Information Technology (IT).

There were 162 entries that were whittled down to the top 100. 

These participants will attend a series of training sessions over the next few weeks and will be expected to pitch to an adjudication panel made up of the competition's various partners.

The top scorers will progress to the next round, until eventually only a handful will be left to vie for the major prizes.

The top three in the existing businesses category and the top five business ideas are left to vie for the ultimate prizes.

'It's wonderful to see such a big interest with so many qualifying participants that will be part of this year's challenge. #YouthStartCT is a great platform where young entrepreneurs can learn new skills, hone existing business skills and enjoy opportunities to network. We hope that we will soon see new businesses in the community that will help stimulate job creation. I would like to thank those who applied and wish all participants well during the programme',  said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.

For more information on the #YouthStartCT  programme visit www.capetown.gov.za/#YouthStart.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office