CITY OF CAPE TOWN
16 APRIL 2018
MEDIA RELEASE
#YouthStartCT 2018 entrepreneurial challenge kicks off
The City of Cape Town’s #YouthStartCT challenge is back for its third instalment. Read more below:
The competition, now in its third year, is aimed at young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 who have innovative business ideas that can help grow the economy and create employment in their communities.
Competition entries are now open for young entrepreneurs. Forms are available online here:http://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Jobs-and-opportunities/youthstartct-2018 or at one of the City’s libraries.
The City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department first launched #YouthStartCT in 2016 as part of its youth development initiatives. The challenge is open to young adults aged between 18 and 35 who have existing businesses or start-up ideas that have the potential to stimulate economic growth and sustainable job creation.
This year the winners will be given the chance to partner with the City on projects that will uplift job seekers and provide sustainable employment opportunities.
‘Entrepreneurs will present their business ideas in their entries. All the entries received will be reviewed, and the top 100 entries will be offered 10 weeks of after-hours mentoring in Cape Town. Thereafter 20 finalists will be selected for the playoffs. The top 20 will be offered further mentoring. The top three winners will be announced at a gala event,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.
How to enter:
- Contestants should formulate an innovative idea for creating employment in their community.
- Optional: they may make a short video explaining their idea and upload it to a public video platform such as YouTube.
- They should include the URL in their entry form.
- Hard copy entry forms are available at City’s libraries. The list of libraries is available on www.capetown.gov.za/youthstart
The City will also run a series of idea-generation sessions where would-be applicants can learn more about the competition and test their ideas. Details of these sessions will be publicised on www.capetown.gov.za/youthstart, the #YouthStartCT webpage and the City’s social media accounts when they become available.
‘This social upliftment project is aimed at empowering people within the community with the tools to start and develop their own business.
‘It is an opportunity for individuals to realise their dreams and aspirations and to help others along the way. Youth unemployment is rampant in South Africa and the #YouthStartCT challenge is one innovative way to chip away at the problem. More importantly, it has the potential to model the way for others in future, especially when we consider the impact that our participants can make in their communities,’ said Alderman Smith.
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Issued by: Media Office, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1311 or Cell: 083 675 3780, Email: jean-pierre.smith@capetown.gov.za (please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za).