Bizniz in a Box tackles rising youth unemployment and strengthens township economies
As the country's youth unemployment rate continues to soar at an alarming rate, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) is taking active steps to tackle the national crisis through its Youth Empowerment Programme, Bizniz in a Box.
South Africa's unemployment rate rose to a new record high of 35.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021, as the Covid-19 storm continued to cast a dark cloud over the economy - and according to recent data released by Stats SA, youth unemployment in South Africa is at 66.5%.
Idea box: What is Coca-Cola doing about it?
Fostering entrepreneurship as a solution to the problem, the Bizniz in a Box initiative, piloted in 2016, has trained close to 800 young entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities. It provided them with the necessary building blocks to manage a successful business and establish a livelihood for themselves. Additionally, the programme has created 185 additional jobs by employing shop assistants.
"These businesses will bring much-needed jobs in a community that has been persistently economically distressed, and more so now as a result of the pandemic,"
"In addition to direct employment, they will stimulate the secondary economy, including a variety of product suppliers, service providers and increased foot traffic which will naturally attract symbiotic businesses."
A proven catalyst for job creation, entrepreneurship continues to be a powerful tool with an overall positive contribution to economic growth and development.
Thinking inside the box
Bizniz in a Box aims to create an ecosystem of viable micro-businesses offering complementary products and services in township communities, using the spaza shop as the anchor. Each business operates out of a custom-designed shipping container provided by CCBSA, covering various core needs of the local community, including internet cafés, car washes, fast-food shops, and mini bakeries.
35-year-old Kelebogile Boikanyo, who runs a Bizniz in a Box in Kanana Village, Rustenburg, says that the skills she has learned through the programme have "really empowered” her as a young entrepreneur. With the knowledge she has gained, she hopes to expand her business into a food franchise, offering sit-down meals, takeaways, and catered meals.
The first out of the box
Before each entrepreneur receives their shipping container, the applicant undergoes a complete competency assessment, which also prepares them for the rigorous nature of being an entrepreneur. No prior business qualification is needed; however, candidates must have some form of entrepreneurial experience and reside in the area where they want to run their businesses.
Successful candidates attend a four-week workshop, receiving critical skills training in business studies, including financial planning and marketing.
During this boot camp phase, Bizniz in a Box owner Nosisa Vuyiswa Mkhwanazi found herself in a tight spot, and she was forced to sell her possessions to put food on the table.
While waiting for her container to be completed, Nosisa used the invaluable skills she learned during these training sessions to start an independent business, Isihlalo Solutions (IS), a waste management company focused mainly on recycling.
Between 2018 and 2022, Isihlalo Solutions grew to employ six staff members and service 16 clients. What started as a necessity has grown into a sustainable business. Nosisa now works with reputable companies such as the South African PET Recycling Company (Petco) and Coca-Cola Beverage South Africa, working towards creating a world without waste.
Following the boot camp process, those who proceed to the final phase are allocated to work in their chosen micro-business. Coca-Cola and its partners provide the initial stock, and the entrepreneurs are assisted in complying with all legal and regulatory requirements to allow them to run the business in line with regulations.
In their first six months of operating, the youth entrepreneurs are monitored weekly and must use their initiative to promote their stores within their communities using direct marketing, promotions, and other tools.
Nosisa opened the doors to her custom container Skhaftini Corner in March 2020, the same day as the first reported case of Covid-19 in South Africa. But with the help of Coca-Cola, Nosisa was able to keep her business's doors open throughout the pandemic - adding a delivery service to her service offering.
With an eye on the future, Nosisa plans to open a bigger supermarket in Buhle Park, bringing quality brands at affordable prices to the community she calls home.
Nosisa, along with many other Bizniz in Box entrepreneurs, has vowed to beat poverty and fight against unemployment. She says:
"I will be at war with poverty until no child goes to bed on an empty stomach and no girl misses school because she doesn't have sanitary pads."
"I want to see every child with their own stationery, school bag and proper school shoes, every school with its own soccer field, netball court, tennis courts and computer lab. I will fight poverty until no woman needs to give up her newborn baby because she can't afford even to feed herself and until every girl is seen as a child and not someone's wife in her teens," she adds.
Since its inception in 2015, Bizniz in a Box continues to grow, training young entrepreneurs across the country and providing them with the skills they need to create sustainable businesses, generate jobs in their communities, and accelerate economic development.
Explore the rest of the Coca-Cola Journey
Introduction to the Coca-Cola System and the company purpose
Water Stewardship
Waste Management
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