Ratshepo High School in Temba is one of the schools that is participating in the Junior Academy South Africa entrepreneur’s programme this year.
The programme offers grade 11 pupils an opportunity to become young entrepreneurs through 20 session for the students to come up with unique products that they can sell and make a profit. At the end of the 20 sessions, the participating schools compete for first price.
The Junior Academy South Africa has implemented the proggramme in all provinces since 2014. The students produce unique products that they can sell and make a profit. At Ratshepo High School the programme started in February and the learners are now on session 17.
There are two groaps of learners at Ratshepo High consisting of seven members each expected to produce unique producst. The Unbreakable Creativity Group came up with a multiple holder using ice cream sticks. The holders sell for R45-R102 per cup. The Young Black Entrepreneurs Group created a wool basket to put lighter things inside and it sells for R35.
Mr George Kekana , the facilitator at Ratshepo High School said the learners are doing well but this year they have experienced a drop in products compared to the previous years.
“Last year two groups raised R45 000 and it does not look like this year the teams will reach that target because they are left with three session in the next three weekends to sell their products,” he said.
The learner who is leading the Unbrakable Group, Keabetswe Sethole, said she is going to pursue what she has learned in business.
“It is difficult when you are with people who do not have passion in what they are doing, I will however apply the little experience I learnt in the future,” she said.