Mentorship breeds success

It’s a proven theory that knowledge breeds success. Enterprise Development (ED) initiatives assists individual businesses in leveraging their unique services, within their respective business sectors. The advancement of the South African economy is dependent on the development and sustainability of entrepreneurial ventures. This makes entrepreneurship in South Africa more crucial, as it serves as a tool in decreasing the effects of social unemployment and ultimately contributes to the eradication of poverty.

Through ED initiatives, BE at UP has carried out many projects over the years, with beneficiaries having enjoyed varying levels of success following their endowments. One such former beneficiary whom has made a successes of its aid assistances is Bathale Media, who has by far, set the standard for capitalising on opportunity.

Oscar Segane, owner and creative director of Bathale Media, has grown his business exponentially since receiving ED support five years ago. Mr Segane started his business with nothing more than a camera and his passion to succeed. He worked hard during his beginning stages and his big break came in 2010 when BE at UP offered Segane a three-week long advanced entrepreneurship training programme. The sponsorship also included production tools which would enable him to grow his businesses and to also create job opportunities within his community.  

“The journey with BE at UP has been great. We have remained in touch over the years and I am pleased and truly grateful for the support given to me from the time I was a student until now,” Segane said. Segane explains that the contributions from BE at UP were invaluable in helping him to advance his business, especially the training programme which he attended. His greatest accomplishment to date is working on the rebranding of a big state-owned company (SOC) and landing a two-year contract on the branding work of a Southern African NGO.

The continuous support of business to emerging entrepreneurs and small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) plays a significant role in ensuring that the smaller businesses become sustainable and are adequately empowered to ultimately contribute at various levels of economic activity. To this end, BE at UP continues to implement entrepreneurial activities to bring about the success and sustainability of SMME’s. For more information, visit www.be.up.ac.za.