Culture, Legacies and Networks

After a long weekend dedicated to youth - I find myself filled with doubt on the strategy that is put forth for the youth of South Africa.

According to legislation, I am and will remain a “youth” for a few more years. It becomes ever so vital that I take full advantage of all opportunities during these last few years.

The massive drive for government, to cater to the youth problem - yes, I perceive their actions as viewing the youth as a problem, none of them is quite interested to solve. 

But have to comment on to garner political votes. Votes from a population segment that is looking to outstrip any other segment in terms of size.

South Africa and most of the African continent is undergoing a great revival opportunity - where the majority of the economically active participants in the economy, would be young people. This allows the country to look at opportunities to produce goods at a competitive rate, globally.

The youth is sold on the idea of YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP a term that equally excites and depresses.

As my wife pointed out - why is entrepreneurship, especially in youth, equated to spaza shop owners, small and almost insignificant entities with little or no scope for growth. Why can the focus not be on high potential industries, where major, new companies can become the dominant players in 15 to 45 years.

It is almost impossible for the youth to become entrepreneurs - this discipline requires, as any discipline (like being a doctor, dentist or dietitian) needs educational background, experience and understanding of your industry before one can embark on it.

Entrepreneurship is not a discipline to be undertaken when you are without options - but should be undertaken as the option based on sound economic opportunity identified and proven to have potential.

Thus, don't just become an entrepreneur because it looks cool but find opportunities that you can exploit, efficiently and build a sustainable venture from.

Entrepreneurship requires knowledge of environment, networks with players in the market, understanding of the culture and norms in the industry and ever so importantly - capital.

These are factors to success that require time to nurture, understand and have full grasp of. Never mind the one in a billion stories of young people who move from varsity dorm-room to mansion, for us mere mortals this will not be the case.

So, we need the 35s to 50 year olds to build new and fantastic businesses, to take on risks and utilse the networks they have built, during their time of employment in the various industries they know.

Most of all - they can utilse the capital they have to leverage more funds to fully cover their financial capital requirements. They need to look into their networks for able people to join their businesses as part of the management team and make job opportunities available for the next crop of young entrepreneurially minded people who can learn from them and build bigger and better organizations.

In this way, South Africa would be able to build a culture of entrepreneurial excellence instead of the perception that entrepreneurship is what you are left with when all the good opportunities have been taken.

We need to build legacies, offer a hand-UP to aspiring entrepreneurs and revert back to the time of stronger business advocacy groups.

This is not a black or a white thing - it's a requirement for the development of an inclusive South Africa able to grow its economy based on value creation and not the destruction of any parties.