Youth Entrepreneur: what they won’t teach

YOUTH entrepreneurship:

what they won't teach you at varsity

If you just work on stuff that you like and youre passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out. - Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook.

When you think of an entrepreneur, who do you think of? Richard Branson? Bill Gates? These caricatures of wealth and success define entrepreneurship, but for many young people, this makes the idea of going it alone seem impossibility. The reality is a little different: anyone can be an entrepreneur, and with the right attitude, young school-leavers and university graduates can say goodbye to the idea of working for a boss.

Perhaps you're an entrepreneur already, which means you know full well the satisfaction of working for yourself. In South Africa, entrepreneurship needs to grow amongst young adults. With access to the good-quality internet – and computing – bright young adults have the opportunity to look past the formal jobs market and make a career out of what they love doing. Like JP Prinsloo. The 25-year old owner of PriFactor has said no to a 9-5 job in an effort to make a success of his own business. “Entrepreneurs can be successful at any age,” he says. “With the right attitude, and a desire to succeed, no dream is too big.”

Enjoy what you do Do you know what Richard Branson, Bill Gates and other mega-rich businessmen have in common? They love what they do. Not only is it easier to enjoy what you're doing when you're working for yourself – it's absolutely crucial. The minute you start finding the work a slog, you might as well kiss goodbye to your venture. Sure, you'll have good and bad days, but if your passion wanes for too long, the motivation to make it a success won't be there. Work hard

“Hard work never goes away,” says Prinsloo, who has built his events business from scratch. It means spending days and nights building up your network of contacts, rubbing shoulders with the right people and establishing your brand. The phrase “hard work” sounds simple – basic, even, but it's the essential building block of any successful enterprise.

Never let people mess you around Being young and inexperienced can often mean you're at the mercy of clients and contractors who are older than you and will use their experience to their advantage. The key? Don't let people routinely get their way. As soon as you stand your ground and start sticking up for what you believe in, you'll build up a reputation of being firm and forthright. There's nothing worse than being viewed as a pushover. Of course, if you're in the wrong, have the decency to admit you've made a mistake and be the bigger person. Being a businessperson is about building a relationship as much as anything, so be firm – but be fair.

Dont be afraid to take risks Risk taking is a big part of entrepreneurship. It means the idea of giving up a steady paycheck and sacrificing your personal capital to make a success of your venture. It means taking a punt, and sometimes pushing yourself further than you ought to. It means building a brand with limited resources, and taking on clients you barely have time in the day to service. “I love the risk-taking aspect of it,” Prinsloo says. “It's about gambling with what you have – but when you've got so much more to gain than to lose, what's there not to love?” Prinsloo believes that as long as you learn from your mistakes, and remember to stay humble, risk-taking will help you get to the next level.

Professor Thabo Msibi is not #AllMenAreTrash by Xolani Dlamini

Professor Thabo Msibi is challenging the famous trending #AllMenAreTrash. Msibi has recently been appointed the youngest Dean and Head of School of Education at the University of KwaZulu Natal.The 34-year-old Professor was born in a small rural village of Ntabamhlophe in Escort north of KwaZulu-Natal. He obtained his Bachelor of Education Honours at UKZN before qualifying for a Master of Education from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. How was the feeling when you received a scholarship to study abroad? “I was very excited and nervous at the same time because I didn't know how well I would do. You know as black people we hardly get such opportunities to study abroad and we have this belief that our standards are lower until we study overseas.”

Is this where you thought you would be when growing up? “When growing up I never thought I would be a Dean, but I was always passionate about becoming a professional lecture to contribute to the development of the country's education. I wanted to be part and parcel of changing people's lives for the better and encourage youngsters to get an education in order to change our country.”

The highlight of your career thus far? “Being promoted to associate professor at my age, that's a major highlight because I never thought of becoming a lecture at such an age. Some people still see me as a student. Another highlight was my obtaining my Ph.D. at Cambridge University”

Since you're lecturing about HIV and Aids how do we address the scourge of stigma in the country? “We need to understand feelings of the victims. People need proper education about HIV and Aids in order to fight the scourge. Let people speak from their experience.” Do you have any regrets about choosing your career? “No no no! I really love what I do and very passionate about the education of a black child. It's what I wake up to do every morning and what I am committed to doing. I want to see black people succeed and become owners of a country or global economy.”

What do you believe we need as the province and country to have more inspirational people as yourself? “We need to provide people with opportunities and open doors for them.We must stop being selfish and allow people to become what they want to be. If we invest in education we will have a better country tomorrow.We appreciate what government is doing on providing financial support to young people but more support is needed on career guidance and emotional support.”

What would you change in South African education? We need to demand excellence, you see in South Africa young people are not encouraged to excel in their education. There needs to be a provision if more resources to rural schools in order to enable potential pupils to achieve their goals.

How do you stay content with yourself? “You have to ground yourself, I am not different to any other human being. I treat people the same way. I believe that I have to recognize everyone as human beings regardless of their race, gender and status.”

Where does your strength come from? “I'm an activist at heart and dream-driven.”

Having a platform that you have, how do you give back to the youth? “I'm a founder of a Community Development Association and Community Foundation, we do lots work to empower young people. We have multi branches even in Free State, Gauteng and Limpopo province where we also offer English classes.”

Three lessons you have learned that would motivate and inspire others. Work hard, nothing will fall from the sky.You have to do research and ask questions about what you want. Dream, act and be humble.

Your words to people who aspire to be like you? “We are very privileged to live in this century and there are so many opportunities out there waiting for us to grab.Ask questions, it is all possible. I don't come from a wealthy family but I have used the opportunities given wisely.”

“We need to demand excellence, you see in South Africa young people are not encouraged to excel in their education. There needs to be a provision if more resources to rural schools in order to enable potential pupils to achieve their goals,”