Business Professionals Invited to Form Partnerships with Young Entrepreneurs

SHAPE will be hosting a “Meet Your Business Friend Day” event at the Durban Undersea Club from 08h00 to 14h00 on 23 July - established entrepreneurs and business professionals are invited to attend this event with the hope to form partnerships with young entrepreneur. These partnerships may adopt the nature of either starting a new business that serves the social needs for KZN or expanding current business operations.

Through social entrepreneurship, these business partnerships will have the opportunity to contribute to KZN’s Regional Economic Development.

The founder of the SHAPE Project, UKZN academic and doctoral candidate, Ms Thea van der Westhuizen is of opinion that it is crucial for entrepreneurs to align their business objectives with economic development objectives KZN has as a province. Ms van der Westhuizen, former business owner and entrepreneur, recently returned to South Africa after spending almost ten years building a career internationally. Her action research project looks into ways how entrepreneurs can be inspired and supported to enhance their levels of self-confidence to when taking risks, thinking innovative and act pro-active. She believes that many entrepreneurial actions fail because owners lose their passion and drive when the going gets tough. She added that many entrepreneurs are searching for a source or Source of inspiration to drive them. “Often entrepreneurs are clear about the “what” of their business, but not too sure about the “why” of their objectives”. Her research revealed that many entrepreneurs are not too positive about their own future as a business professional in South Africa, and that entrepreneurship programs often offers too much theory and not enough practice. Hence SHAPE is creating a platform for the formation of supporting business friendships through the hosting of the event in July.

Partnerships formed on the day will receive long term business development support through the infrastructure of UKZN, eThekwini Municipality and the DCCI so that new business ventures can have a long term plan. Partners with good business ideas will undergo a screening process, and be sponsored to participate in Start-Up Weekend, where they will be able to their business concept ready for operation.