As South Africa celebrates Youth Month, local sweets manufacturer Richester Foods is reaching out to give Gauteng-based youth a jump-start on their entrepreneurial dreams with the opportunity to launch successful new business ventures.
Youth employment remains one of the country’s most pressing concerns, as Statistics South Africa reports that nearly two of every five or 37% of youth between 15 and 24 years are currently not in employment, education, or training programmes.
As the country gears up to celebrate Youth Day, Richester Foods has therefore released its Business in a Box initiative to empower unemployed Gauteng youth with a toolkit for starting their own sweets-selling companies. Throughout the month of June, the company will be inviting young entrepreneurial hopefuls to put their names into the hat to win one of 10 kits by entering its competition on social media.
Featuring a range of Richester Foods’ Coco Bongo chocolate-branded merchandise, a how-to guide with tips on running a micro-business, and 12 boxes of 24 individually wrapped Coco Bongo chocolates, the Business in a Box kit is specifically designed to help entrepreneurs create sustainable and profitable businesses.
“This kit is the ideal solution for ambitious and business-savvy youth to launch their own successful businesses, generate income, and gradually build thriving business empires,” says Dr Hussein Cassim, Managing Director and co-founder of Richester Foods.
“Richester Foods itself was founded in our kitchen by producing sweets on our stove top, which is why we believe in the power and importance of even small beginnings like the Business in a Box toolkit for transforming lives and communities.”
Cassim notes that by selling the Coco Bongo chocolates at the recommended price of just R2.50 each, youth can still make a tidy sum for replenishing supplies while enjoying the benefit of some spare pocket change.
“Coco Bongo’s highly competitive price combined with its great taste makes it the perfect product for tempting both children and adults, ensuring that the sweets will quickly fly off the shelf,” he says.
“Our hope is that intrepid young entrepreneurs will then take this opportunity to learn about the basics of business, and use their Business in a Box profits to grow sustainable enterprises that will generate steady incomes. One day, we even hope to see our Business in a Box entrepreneurs make their names as influential business leaders that are lending a helping hand and creating job opportunities for others.”
To enter the Business in a Box competition, youth need to follow Richester Foods on social media. Next, they need to post a motivation as to why they should be a winner and how the box will help them to achieve their goals, tagging Richester Foods in their post.
Richester Foods will select 10 winners from the entries, who will each receive a Business in a Box kit hand delivered to their door.
“Everyone needs to start somewhere, and so we would encourage all youth across Gauteng to take a chance on themselves and enter the competition.”
