At the 2014 Enactus South Africa National Competition sponsored by Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony) and Sasol Limited, 22 university teams will showcase the impact of their community outreach projects to business leaders serving as judges. The event will be hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre on the 10th and 11th July.
Enactus believes that human progress depends on our ability to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit that lives within each of us and channel the unique talents, passions and ideas we each possess toward creating good in the world. We also believe that the creativity, rigor and accountability that ensure business will flourish are just as essential to creating the circumstances for humankind to thrive.
“Harmony plays an essential role in advancing the work of Enactus to improve lives, strengthen communities and develop socially responsible business leaders while also realising the business advantages that come from being part of the Enactus network. We invest in the youth to encourage interests in addressing social challenges using entrepreneurship - thus securing a better economic future”, said Harmony’s CEO, Graham Briggs.
University teams in the Enactus program are challenged to enable human progress and shape a better more sustainable world through the power of entrepreneurial action. Supported by leading corporate sponsors, the annual National Competition is aimed at sharing the outcomes and impact of their interventions in communities. Enactus teams must measure their projects against the Enactus judging criterion that challenges them to consider the relevant economic, social and environmental factors (triple bottom line sustainability), through their application of business principles and an entrepreneurial approach to improve the quality of life and standard of living of people in need. They are also challenged to effectively implement projects that will transform the lives of people facing real socio-economic problems by creating sustainable economic opportunities.
According to Nolitha Fakude, Sasol’s Executive Director, “It is a privilege for Sasol to be counted as part of Enactus and contribute to enabling a platform for some of the brightest minds in the country. Sustainability, which is a cornerstone of Sasol’s business, is premised on a strategic framework aimed at providing benefits to the communities in which we operate. We are therefore proud of the work that our young people are doing since it supports and exemplifies what we believe in. They are making a significant contribution in uplifting our communities and laying the foundation to their future prosperity, while empowering them to take control of their journey.”
Approximately 1,000 delegates are expected to attend this year’s competition. These will be made up of at least 800 student representatives from 28 universities (public and private higher education institutions) of which 22 teams will be competing, and approximately 200 academic mentors, alumni and leading business executives who will serve as judges.
The Opening Round of competition will take place on Thursday, 10th July, where 6 teams will be up agains each other in the four opening round leagues sponsored by AIG South Africa Limited, Sage, Nedbank and Rich Products Corporation of South Africa. The top two teams from each of the opening round leagues will advance to the semi-final rounds sponsored by AIG South Africa Limited, Barloworld South Africa Limited, Harmony and Nedbank which will take place in the morning of Friday, 11th July. The top two teams from each of the 2 semi-final round leagues will then proceed to battle it out in the final round for the national champion title in the afternoon. The national champion team will advance to the 2014 Enactus World Cup, on 22nd – 24th October in Beijing (China) where they will represent the country and compete against 35 countries for the world champion title.
The event programme also includes the following:
- Thematic Awards Ceremony sponsored by Absa
- Thought Leader panel discussions sponsored by MTN SA Foundation which will respectively focus on:
- Employability and Work Readiness with Sinenhlanhla Mkhize, HR Strategic Partner Group General Manager: Human Resources, Sasol Limited and Loane Sharp Labour Economist, Adcorp Holdings Limited as Panelists;
- Entrepreneurship with two formidable entrepreneurs, Pavlo Phitidis, Executive Director, Aurik Business Accelerator (Pty) Ltd and 702 Talk Radio Contributor, and Patrick Makhubela, Chief Executive Officer, Neledzi Cleaning Services (Pty) Ltd as Panelists.
This event is one of many regional and national competitions being held by 36 countries across the globe to select the team who have achieved the highest impact in their communities through sustainable educational outreach and enterprise development projects.
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For further information, please contact Anusha Mudhai on 011 709 6714 or anusha.mudhai@ogilvypr.co.za
