YouthStartCT Entrepreneurial Challenge 2022 hits the ground running
25 February 2022
Entries for the seventh instalment of the City of Cape Town’s annual #YouthStartCT Entrepreneurial Challenge, which gives budding entrepreneurs a hand up, opened last week. The challenge gives young entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their ideas and win prizes. Those interested are encouraged to attend the next information session.
The #YouthStartCT 2022 entrepreneurial challenge is an accelerator programme for start-up entrepreneurs, with the main aim to encourage entrepreneurship and contribute to skills development and innovation in Cape Town.
‘Our young people are brimming with new business ideas to boost employment in their communities and in doing so, change lives. Their innovations have the ability to transform our communities and with #YouthStartCT they are able to turn those ideas into reality,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.
The City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department will provide training and development opportunities for start-ups at the various rounds of the competition and the winners will be given the chance to partner with the City on projects that will uplift job seekers and provide sustainable employment opportunities.
#YouthStartCT aims to provide young Cape Town entrepreneurs with an opportunity to start up or grow their business. The programme supports entrepreneurs in commercialising, expanding as well as monetising their businesses through their practical training and mentorship programme.
Candidates are required to have an existing business or a start-up idea that has the potential to create sustainable jobs.
The competition is open to Cape Town residents aged between 18 and 35 and they will be given the opportunity to focus on a specific challenge and develop innovative business ideas that will benefit their community.
Competitors are offered support to help them commercialise their solutions through a dynamic training and mentorship programme, which is focused on developing both the entrepreneur and their business idea or business.
The next information session takes place on Saturday, 5 March 2022 and interested young people are encouraged to attend the info session in the banqueting hall in the Cape Town Civic Centre from 09:00 to 11:00.
Entries for the competition close on Sunday, 13 March 2022.
The top 100 entries will be offered after-hours training and mentoring, and weekly elimination rounds will take place in order to determine the winners.
The top 10 will be offered further mentoring with the top three winners being announced at a gala event.
'#YouthStartCT is an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to truly make a difference right where they are. Not only will they expand their own businesses, but they will be able to access resources, skills and knowledge while contributing to the upliftment of their communities,' added Councillor van der Ross.
The application criteria asks that entrants:
Come up with an innovative idea for creating employment in your community
Compulsory: make a short video explaining your idea and upload it to a public video platform e.g.YouTube. Don’t forget to include the URL in your entry form
Complete the YouthStartCT entry form – online applications only
Submit your entry
To enter visit your nearest library or internet café and go to www.capetown.gov.za/youthstart.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
