Hull's Young Entrepreneurs do the business on South African visit

Pupils from Ikage Primary School after pitching successfully for support from John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank.

A DELEGATION of young entrepreneurs from Hull has returned from taking part in South Africa's largest entrepreneurial event, the Hook up Dinner and Demo Africa.

During the visit young entrepreneurs met enterprising young people in the townships outside Johannesburg, as well as visiting a number of highly successful enterprise hubs that operate in the Gauteng province.

During the visit, young entrepreneurs Thomas Arran, Kit Hargreaves and Haggai Mwiko, made successful contacts with South African entrepreneurs. They plan to look at future opportunities as well as agreeing to support the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank in backing enterprising young people in Johannesburg and surrounding townships through the Hook up Dinner, Biz Kidz South Africa and Beyond the Lemonade Stand.

Maureen Foers OBE, Chair of the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank, said: "It was a great opportunity for some of our young entrepreneurs to represent Hull at South Africa's largest entrepreneurial event, the Hook up Dinner Event in Johannesburg. They joined representatives from the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Uganda, Nigeria, Mozambique, Namibia, Kenya, Swaziland and South Africa.

"As a partnership we are very proud of our youth enterprise programme and the support it gets from Hull City Council and the business community. We are pleased that positive outcomes have come out of the visit, not only between entrepreneurs but also between ourselves and the Hook up Dinner."

Thomas Arran, photographer and co-chair of Hull's Let Talk Business Network, said: "It was a fantastic opportunity to visit enterprising people like myself in South Africa. Having started my own business at the age of 17, with the support of Hull City Council, it was interesting to see what support young people have in South Africa. There is no doubt in my mind South Africa's young people are very enterprising."

Kit Hargreaves of Apple Pear, commented: "From a personal point of view, I was very pleased to attend the Hook up Dinner event and Demo Africa in Johannesburg, meeting young entrepreneurs from across Africa. I look forward to developing further business opportunities with the contacts I have made. It was interesting to note that young people in South Africa face the same issues as those in the UK with lack of funding from banks and not enough people taking their dreams seriously."

Haggai Mwiko, founder and chairman of Habby Business, said: "There is no doubt in my mind South Africa has a bright future. I was particularly inspired by the young people in Alexandra and Soweto townships and those that support them such as Beyond the Lemonade Stand, Biz Kidz South Africa and the Hook up Dinner. As a business I am looking forward to establishing concrete business opportunities in the UK for some of the South African entrepreneurs that I met."

Selebogo Molefe, CEO of Lifesgud Global Investments (Pty) Ltd and founder of the Hook up Dinner, commented: "In 2014 I visited Hull to see how Hull City Council supports young entrepreneurs, and the return visit by young entrepreneurs from Hull to Johannesburg was a great success. We were extremely pleased that two of our enterprise education projects, Beyond the Lemonade Stand and Biz Kidz South Africa, based in Soweto and Alexandra Townships respectively, will receive support from the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank. Alongside this local entrepreneur Kabelo Mogale will also receive help for his new venture Plus News South Africa that features good news stories only.

"I am delighted that with the support of Hull City Council and the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank we will be running your Make £5 Blossom Programme and delivering the Big 13 Enterprise Skills in our schools as we build up our youth enterprise Eco-system."

Pupils from Ikage Primary School after pitching  successfully for support from John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank

Pictured (left to right) are Haggai Mwiko, Kit Hargreaves and Thomas Arran