MOSSEL BAY NEWS - In honour of Youth Day, some youngsters from four of Mossel Bay’s high schools participated in a competition in the Bartolomeu Dias Museum on 16 June, when they pitched their unique and creative business ideas.
The participating schools were Sao Bras High, Indwe Secondary, Hillcrest Secondary and Garden Route High.
The event was organised by the Zadue Youth Development Group in Mossel Bay and spotlighted the youth’s potential in the spirit of Youth Day, observed annually in South Africa on 16 June.
The day began with high-energy performances from the Golden Young Stars dance group and a re-enactment of the classic South African stage show and film, Sarafina! (which draws direct inspiration from the 1976 Soweto uprising, from which Youth Day stems), performed by a group of learners from Garden Route High.
Nwabisa Spofana, Thandiwe Nyoka, Mfihlo Magoqwana, Inam Mdumiso and Sandisiwe Bambanani, members of the Zandue Youth Development Group who had organised the event. Photo: Gabriélla Siebritz
After hearing several innovative business ideas from Mossel Bay’s youth, the winners of the competition were learners from Sao Bras High, Siphumelele Magaqa and Lusanda Mosia, with their idea known as ApexVest, a digital donation platform designed to address the underfunding of essential institutions and organisations in South Africa.
According to these two, the platform enables individuals to make monthly contributions and choose whether they want to support educational institutions, healthcare facilities, CIPC-registered small businesses, or vetted non-profit organisations.
Their presentation highlighted how schools, clinics, hospitals and community organisations often struggle to secure sufficient funding, while many small businesses lack access to meaningful community support.
“ApexVest aims to bridge this gap by creating a transparent and accountable platform where donors can directly support causes that matter to them,” said the team behind the idea.
Garden Route High learners during a performance of ‘Sarafina!’. Photo: Gabriélla Siebritz
Also listening to the presentations was Mossel Bay’s mayor, Dirk Kotzé, who encouraged the learners to take inspiration from the youth of 1976, who stood up for themselves and took their futures into their own hands.
The event concluded with celebratory pizza and beverages at the museum.
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