Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge's top learners

The winners of the 2019 Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC) - the digital learning competition aimed at developing the entrepreneurial mindset in high school learners as a way to combat unemployment - have been announced.

Top 3 students in the AGEC 2019

L-R: Lazola Simane, Sachin Mohan and Kai Lemel

Over 14,000 learners, from 621 schools, took part in the five-week challenge. The top three learners will receive a fully paid trip to Singapore to attend the Emerging Technologies Asia Conference.

The AGEC top 10 candidates are:

1st place: Lazola Simane – Lumko High School, Eastern Cape
2nd place: Sachin Mohan – Horizon International High School, Gauteng
3rd place: Kai Lemel – Cedar House School, Western Cape
4th place: Alizwa Mboniswa – Lumko High School, Eastern Cape
5th place: Zuhayr Khan – Cedar House School, Western Cape
6th place: Samuel Padayachee – Maritzburg College, KZN
7th place: Sam McQuirk – Selborne College, Eastern Cape
8th place: Bocasho Braaf – Bridge House School, Western Cape
9th place: Nina Lewis – Herschel Girls School, Western Cape
10th place: Connor Sims – Fourways High School, Gauteng

Preparing the country’s youth to thrive in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of business is a top priority for South Africa, since graduates need to be equipped with the skills to navigate their way through the 4th Industrial Revolution, says AGEC manager Roheid Ojageer.

“The challenge aims to channel the entrepreneurial potential of young South African learners. Using gamification to deliver the Challenge, it provides high school learners with the industry relevant skills needed to make their mark as emerging entrepreneurs,” says Ojageer.

The competition focused on developing five overarching ‘habits of thought’, identified through academic research as key components of an entrepreneurial mindset. These include: intellectual imagination (innovation); personal initiative (initiative); courageous commitment (resilience); spirit of significance (change maker) and achievement excellence (drive).

Participants were exposed to enriched content, custom-built to transform mindsets, habits and concepts for young entrepreneurs in the making, and further provides them with practical business-building skills.

AGEC is conceptualised by the Allan Gray Orbis Foundations and sponsored by Allan Gray Proprietary Limited.

The participation for the next AGEC, to take place in 2020, is expected to increase. Registration and more information are available at entrepreneurshipchallenge.co.za.