The Success Index Commission – a company that fuels ambitions of entrepreneurs from grass-roots, hosted comprehensive two days of capacity building interactive workshops under the theme “Bridging the Gap” to the youth of Daveyton at the East Rand School of Arts, on the 26th & 27th June 2025. The event’ program was hosted in collaboration with the Daveyton Etwatwa Provincial Constituency Council,as well as key business development institutions Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA), National Youth Development Agency ( NYDA), the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), Ekurhuleni East TVET College. The program was put together from the trajectory of being inspired by the grit of the youth of 1976’s to stand up against apartheid.
Success Index CEO, Dr Marfo said that in the current day, the youth’s struggle was to proactively oppose the current day’s systematic inequality and oppression that was manifesting itself in the form of rampant unemployment, currently standing at 46,1% according to statistics South Africa.“A journey to financial freedom and independence is a journey through entrepreneurship, and, our aim is to help empower the African child to defend themself and defend the future.”
He emphasised during his talk the need for youth of today to stand up for their economic emancipation with the main intent of ensuring that they raise the standard of living and alleviate poverty.The two day workshops were lined up with applicable and transferable skills that would help youth advance their potential to clutch opportunities that would help them secure funding for their projects, small businesses and growing enterprises. Marfo said that in hindsight, youth unemployment can be equated to the conditions of apartheid in how they impeded on the quality of life of youth in the country. He called on the youth to take the opportunity of the workshop to be equipped for and stay ready to take the opportunities being offered by the bodies present at the event, as well as other potential investors.
Incubator Programme and Entrepreneurs with billion rand ambitions
If the youth of that time could stand up for their destinies and fight for what is right -the youth today can stand up to be entrepreneurs that will set the pace for the next generation.m Dr Marfo,who is also a NYDA business mentor, said that the incubator programme was intended to take up to 50 individuals quarterly to help individuals align their business aspirations. “According to the funders we are currently negotiating with, the minimum that will be provided will be R50 000, however for projects that are already in motion there is no cap as we are currently speaking with various embassies in the country to ensure our entrepreneurs can be empowered in creating jobs,” he said.
He also highlighted that the age groups which are targeted currently are ages groups between 15-35, and women from any age. He mentioned that the selection process will begin in July to select the first batch of candidates for the incubator. The incubator is expected to build a host of skills including soft skills such as building stamina for entrepreneurs and hard skills such as business plan writing. All the categories of the incubators are expected to be undertaken on all across six levels, within 3 months.
Winning proposals & business plans
Professor Ebenezer Botchway, a chartered accountant and entrepreneurship expert from Ghana shared his know-how with the participants at the workshop to give them a leg up through effective business plans and proposals that can win pitches.
Prof Ebenezer said that “If you’re an entrepreneur and you don’t learn the A-B-C of effective pitching, then you’re not an entrepreneur”. He shared tips on why some proposals get rejected and presented on how to avoid this through a step-by-step guide that took into consideration the dual function of successful business documentation.
Participants were also given the opportunity to network with government officials and enterprise development coaches. “I believe the speakers were informative, and the event was beneficial in that it gave me the opportunity to use various platforms for assistance on training and grooming,” said Lonwabo Tshabangu, a tech entrepreneur.
Daveyton Parliamentary Constituency Officer Steven Ngcobo also commented on the workshop. “I am happy and excited about this workshop, especially seeing that it will take economic empowerment to the next level. The mentoring and nurturing that is provided by the S.I.C. is innovative and practical in approach” he said.
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