Jobs aren't coming so they created their own
As these young entrepreneurs return to their communities, they carry more than certificates. They carry the tools and vision to spark grassroots economic renewal.
The programmes, the Certificate in Entrepreneurial Development and the Certificate in Small Business Enrichment, are part of a strategic partnership between CHIETA and JBS at the University of Johannesburg, enabled by a R1 million discretionary grant from CHIETA. The funding supports sustainable entrepreneurship and leadership training aligned to national economic development goals. In her opening address, Professor Adri Drotskie, Acting Dean of JBS, emphasised the power of sector partnerships to create lasting impact:
'Our collaboration with CHIETA continues to build managerial capacity and entrepreneurial thinking. These graduates represent not only academic success but a growing movement of economic selfdetermination.'
Delivering the keynote, Princess Kgakane, CHIETA Executive Manager for Grants, Projects and Regions, acknowledged the deeper significance of the moment: 'You've chosen growth over defeat. At a time when our expanded unemployment rate has reached 43.1%, your journey shows that with the right support, people don't just survive. They thrive.'
CHIETA's investment forms part of a wider mission to drive inclusive skills development, particularly in the chemical sector and adjacent industries. The long-standing partnership with JBS has already yielded tangible results, empowering beneficiaries with practical business acumen, leadership confidence, and sector-relevant expertise.
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'South Africa has made impressive strides in digital payments, with contactless transactions now accounting for over 60% of face-to-face payments,' said Berner. 'This Data Centre is a critical enabler of that momentum, further strengthening the country's real-time commerce infrastructure.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Berner said Visa had been in South Africa for 30 years and over time the business has grown very significantly. "We see tremendous growth in tokenized transactions. 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They chose sustainability as their anchor, reaching for hemp and cotton and making hats their hero product. The hats are crafted by a team of Zimbabwean women using techniques passed down through generations. Then came an email that looked a lot like spam: Dior wanted to collaborate. 'We got this message from someone saying they're from Dior… We all thought we were being scammed,' Georgiadis recalled. The collaboration has propelled Earth Age to explore international markets, now selling their products in London. Winning in a digital world Today, countless small brands are lost in an algorithm-fed blur of sameness. This is because online engagement is exploding. 'Instant messaging and email as well as online video and social networks are absolutely ridiculously getting bigger and bigger every single year,' Saggers said. Podcasts are booming too. In South Africa, one in four people listened to a podcast daily, Saggers said, and 55% listened to a podcast weekly. 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