The CEO of the Streetbiz Foundation, Dr Nico de Klerk, completed his 130 day walk from Pretoria to Cape Town on Saturday. The Long Walk” project is supported by various NGO’s, governmental departments and business.
It is aimed at encouraging youth in disadvantaged communities to start their own businesses.
“Changing mind sets, changing lives,” this is the mission of one man to create awareness for the unexplored potential for entrepreneurship in South Africa. The walk was also in commemoration of Nelson Mandela’s legacy and his 100th birthday celebration.
“The icon of Nelson Mandela it means so much to be applied in the world of entrepreneurship development. If you think about the power of vision and commitment to that one thing that can make a difference and then let nothing stand in your way, just make it work. That’s what we can learn in terms of the mind set of entrepreneurs, you know that’s just the start of it and we need to tap into it much more,” says De Klerk.
StreetBiz wants to use alternative ways to address poverty, unemployment and inequality as the top issues threatening the future and stability of South Africa.
“We are a unique country and its time that we should focus on that because the spirit out there in the communities. All over, people just want to make it work and everywhere you experience goodwill. People going out of their way, friendliness, kindness so it was the challenge for my mind set to experience the positivity, that is at grassroots level and that should influence the whole of society.”
Saturday 24 November is the culmination of Dr Nico de Klerk’s Long Walk For An Entrepreneurial Mindset’, completing130 days on foot presenting workshops to 17 000 people from 104 communities. SA Day is a proud supporter of Nico’sProject. #southafricadaymakeadifferencecampaign pic.twitter.com/N4EzQFOdHQ
— South Africa Day (@SADay2017) November 22, 2018
The long term vision of the StreetBiz Foundation is an online Academy for Entrepreneurship with the emphasis on the mind set among the Youth & Unemployed and to teach basic business skills development.
Lessons learned along this walk, will hopefully have a positive impact on the much needed entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa.
