MTN Business focuses on the development of young black entrepreneurs

MTN Business has presented its first Supplier Development Programme (SDP) and Accelerator Programme (AP) workshop, aimed at empowering young black entrepreneurs and exposing them to significant growth and development opportunities.

Through these MTN Business SDP and AP initiatives, over 35 small ICT businesses will be developed through programmes that will take them from the start-up phase to fully self-sufficient status.

The two-day workshop, hosted at the headquarters of MTN Business, was delivered to entrepreneurs in Johannesburg by Dr M.K Angajan, who delivered a series of lectures on:

• The science of self-development,
• Principles of productivity,
• Impediments to peak performance,
• Emotional quotient, and
• The power of positive mental performance to participating entrepreneurs from Gauteng and who operate within the ICT space.

The workshop is part of MTN Business’ three-year intervention that intends to “enable economic inclusion by empowering young, black entrepreneurs to take their place at the forefront of South Africa’s evolution to a knowledge-based economy,” the company said.

MTN Business’ programmes are aligned with the National Development Plan’s goals of addressing poverty alleviation and fostering empowerment by creating a new class of young, black entrepreneurs.

“These programmes supports our strategic intent of creating sustainable value for our stakeholders as good corporate citizenship is key, as well as driving sustainable growth and developing new opportunities to ensure the delivery of a bold new digital world,” said David Mphelo, General Manager for Public Sector at MTN Business South Africa.

New Generation Mindset (NGM) is supporting MTN Business by nurturing skills, delivering training and mentorship.

NGM and MTN Business have ‘Grassroots’ support programs in place to enable and develop eligible service providers and suppliers of ICT services, equipment, applications, installations, devices and peripherals, towards sustainable participation in South Africa’s digital economy, that include:

• A 3 year business incubation program
• Access to Funding
• Market linkages
• Mentorship & Coaching

MTN’s broader initiative targets companies in the following focus groups, including black-owned companies, black youth-owned companies, black women-owned companies and black disabled-owned companies.

Potential youth-owned companies in ICT are invited to apply to become suppliers and service providers to MTN South Africa. Applications can be made here.