Building Better Businesses Symposium
Competition Winners:
Most Innovative Business:
R10 000
Phumzile manufactures baby skin care ointments for skin irritations found in infants and toddlers.
Our target market is mothers with toddlers and infants who suffer from skin irritations such as ringworm, nappy rash, eczema, and cradle cap.
Her business was inspired after her 3-month-old baby boy was diagnosed with eczema, after trying different products with no success she decided to formulate a product for him. It has been a 2-year journey, her products have been clinically tested and approved by a dermatologist.
They are currently based in Tembisa, Gauteng, South Africa.
She is currently supplying 4 pharmacies in Tembisa and one wholesaler in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Her business is currently employing 4 people. Phumzile has shared that her winnings will give her the opportunity to scale up and do more brand awareness reaching more customers.
Driving Profitability:
R5000
Nweli Poultry Co-op is a successful Poultry business run by owner Herbert Nenweli. Herbert was able to grow his business during COVID – a very challenging time. He will be using his prize money to buy chicken feed.
In the past 12 months Nweli Poultry Co-op was successful in acquiring a grant from the Department of Agriculture to the value of R34 000. The grant was in the form of a voucher that he used to get Chicken Feed and medication for his chickens. With the grant Herbert was able to grow his Business, he was able to purchase a chicken plucker machine as well as a 6,5 kVA generator to keep operating during load-shedding.
He was able to build two additional chicken houses on the farm. The 18x4m and 15x5m chicken houses will enable Herbert to sell broilers and eggs. Herbert next project is to build a storeroom and an office. The storeroom will allow him to take advantage of specials on chicken feed as he will be able to store the feed safely. Herbert is so grateful that he was a Township Projects winner and looks forward to a long and rewarding relationship.
Best response to COVID:
R10 000
Kgomotso Kgowe, from Motheo Wa Tlholo Trading CC, faced challenges when COVID hit. Kgomotso realised that she needed to do things differently if her catering business was going to survive. She knew she needed to think out of the box as persons were no longer able to visit her business.
She got creative, realising that she needed to take her products to her clients, her door-to-door delivery as well as call and pick up option was born. Kgomotso realised that COVID presented her with other opportunities she was able to employee the youth in her community and was also able to grow her business outside of her community.
Her biggest opportunity was undertaking catering for funeral Parlours.
Kgomotso shared that not only did she survive covid, but her business was also able to thrive because she was adaptable, able to change quickly as well as responding on her feet. Kgomotso dream to continue growing her business employing the youth in her community.
Dragon’s Den:
Winner:
R50 000
Pink Print Farm Produce is a meat processing business, we make Sausages, Russians, Patties etc.
The business is located in a rural village called Maphumulo. Living in a rural village have many disadvantages one which includes unavailability of a source of meat supply that will offer quality meat products as a source of protein to low income earning families.
I chose to solve this problem by starting my own meat processing business in the community so that the people could purchase these products directly from the producer at low prices. We started operating in a garage and now have a butchery.
The business has operated for 2 years 6 months. We are now employing 6 local youth. Our market is the community, Shisanyamas, Bnbs and Restaurants.
Runner up:
R18 000
