ACTIVATE! 2014 to highlight SA's social entrepreneurship

More than 86 social development initiatives from across South Africa will be unveiled at the ACTIVATE! Youth Leadership Network's annual Innovation Showcase in Johannesburg on 17 and 18 January 2014.
ACTIVATE! 2014 to highlight SA's social entrepreneurship

ACTIVATE! is a network of young social entrepreneurs who combine their business savvy with a keen sense of social responsibility to conceptualize and run community-based entrepreneurial projects across all nine provinces. Each of the projects address a very real need within its given community and represent exceptional examples of the country's inherent entrepreneurial capacity, says ACTIVATE! CEO, Chris Meintjes.

Among others, projects on show will include an initiative called Mobile Education Bank (Edu-Bank),a mobile structure that houses and distributes educational resources to children in disadvantaged communities, Ifa Lemvelo, which aims to raise awareness about environmental challenges facing South Africa and the world, and will raise funds through recycling used workbooks and The Light Up Jar that has taken up the challenge of fatalities caused by fires from open sources such as candles with the production and distribution of solar-powered 750ml light up jars in rural areas.

"The showcase is two days of innovation and exploration where the focus is on giving tangible substance to ACTIVATE!'s vision of contributing to South Africa's future by developing and supporting cohort dynamic young social entrepreneurs," says Meintjes.

The two-day event will include a programme of interactive workshops, topical guest speakers and a platform for sharing ideas around social transformation and will also bring together a range of related community development NGO's as well as stakeholders from the government and private sectors.

Young people between the ages of 20-30 are recruited annually to participate in a comprehensive three-year capacity-building programme that includes the mentorship, business training and networking capacity required to strengthen their capacity to drive positive social development and to ensure the success of their social and business ventures.

The ACTIVATE! Innovation Showcase will take place in Johannesburg at the Alpha Conference Centre, Magaliesberg

For more, contact Kopano Ntsoane on moc.liamg@enaostn.onapok or Mzwandile Msimang on az.oc.evil@gnamism.mi.

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