Eskom generates interest for the next generation

“Winning the Simama-Ranta competition will enable us to invest in much-needed resources, create jobs and continue giving back to our community, something the club holds very dear,” said Enett Mokoena, educator at Lethulwazi Comprehensive School, upon its announcement as Gauteng’s provincial winner of Eskom’s 2021 SimamaRanta High School Entrepreneurship Competition.

The competition has been running since 2010, promoting entrepreneurship among high school pupils throughout South Africa with enterprise clubs.

Lethulwazi Comprehensive School’s Vosloorus-based enterprise club, Lethulwazi Pioneers, comprises 53 pupils from Grades 8-11 and has operated since 2019. Although it did not meet the competition’s criteria to participate in 2019, the club was inspired to participate in the 2021 leg of the competition, after attending the 2019 awards ceremony and went on to win at its first attempt.

It grows its own vegetable garden, does beadwork, sewing, nail and hair-grooming, as well as providing ice and laundry services.

The prize money will be used to purchase beading equipment, for tuckshop operations and for a vegetable garden project.

“The club’s vision and approach resonate with us. Eskom applauds the club’s efforts to promote an entrepreneurial mindset among pupils, such as the Entrepreneurship Day it hosted in 2019. Such efforts are aligned to what we endeavour to achieve through the Simama-Ranta programme,” said Eskom Development Foundation CEO Cecil Ramonotsi.

Rutasetjhaba Secondary School from Evaton was the first runner-up. Its fiveyear-old Risk-Takers Yes Club specialises in manufacturing school bags, repairing tables and creating beadwork.

“The club started off with two pupils providing a gift-wrapping service, designing book covers using recycled paper and doing beadwork. Over the years we’ve grown to 60 members, coming second in the 2017 provincial Simama-Ranta competition and being the provincial winner of the SAGE SA competition,” said club leader and teacher Victries Radebe.

The school plans to use the prize money to install wall heaters in classrooms and to support a local home housing children with disabilities.

Lakeside Secondary School’s The Lakers Enterprise Club from Palm Springs came third in Gauteng. The club uses recycled material to produce functional decorative pieces, grow vegetables, sell snacks and design bookmarks.

Kholosa Plaatjie, educator and club co-ordinator at the school, said: “Our community’s underprivileged and some households barely manage two meals a day. This programme has empowered pupils to use their talents to become financially independent and improve the lives of their families and community.

“For a country to grow its economy, it needs as many successful small businesses in as wide a range of activities as possible. This is where Eskom’s Simama-Ranta competition is so important, reaching far and wide across our country into schools and opening doors for many to better their own lives and the lives of those around them.

“To all our young people in Gauteng who seized the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Simama-Ranta High School Entrepreneurship Competition, we congratulate you,” said Nthato Minyuku, Eskom’s group executive for government and regulatory affairs.

(Above): Lethulwazi Pioneers club member Sebenzile Ntuli.

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