Round 21 of the South African ABSA Premiership saw defending champions Sundowns missing the chance to go top of the log for the third time in succession while Cape Town City reclaimed the top spot for fourth time this season . Highlands Park determination paid dividends as the jumped out of the relegation – playoff spot plunging the two Free State Teams into the relegation zone. Channel Africa’s Sports Editor Thabiso Ntema looks back at the round that had changes at the top and bottom end of the log standing.

Round 11 of the South African ABSA Premiership saw Supersport United handing Bidvest Wits their first loss of the season while Cape Town City shot to the top of the log for the second time in in six days . Chiefs continued to fire blanks while Sundowns four match unbeaten came to an end at the Cape Town Stadium. Channel Africa’s Sports Editor Thabiso reviews round 11.

An entrepreneur is often described as a starter, initiator, a challenger and a driver. Someone that creates something new, an initiative, a business or a company. He or she is the beginning - and sometimes the end of a venture, project or activity. An entrepreneur sees an opportunity which others do not fully recognise, to meet an unsatisfied demand or to radically improve the performance of an existing business. This week on the show we profile a founder of a young brand development agency, Maru-a-pula (means ‘Clouds of rain’ in Setswana language), which is in the business of building brands and communicating the essence of business and brand relationships. We speak to Kelebogile Makhafola is the Founder and Director of Maru-a-Pula.

This week on the show we find about the MTN Entrepreneurship Challenge. Following a rigorous selection process, involving more than 700 applicants from 26 countries across Africa, the top three finalists in the MTN Entrepreneurship Challenge, powered by Jumia, have been revealed. The three finalists are from Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. The challenge, aims to boost entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as build a stronger and more sustainable business environment on the continent. We speak to Herman Singh is the Chief Digital Officer at MTN Group. We also feature the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, an industry group representing purchasing and supply chain professionals in South Africa. Following recent calls for private & public organisations and individuals to contribute in making tertiary education accessible in South Africa, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, has decided to walk the talk by partnering with Rising Stars Careers Expo. We speak to Andre Coetzee is the Mnaging Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS)

Entrepreneurs are frequently thought of as national assets to be cultivated, motivated and remunerated to the greatest possible extent. They can change the way we live and work. If successful, their innovations may improve our standard of living. In short, in addition to creating wealth from their entrepreneurial ventures, they also create jobs and the conditions for a prosperous society This week on the show we profile two young African entrepreneurs who share their entrepreneurial journey. We speak to 30 year old Malawian Rachel Sibande, who has been listed by Forbes magazine as one of the 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa. She is the Founder of Malawi’s first technology hub, MHub which launched in 2013. We also speak to Nigerian Oscar Emetuei who is an Entrepreneur, Transformational Coach, Speaker and Author.

This week on the show we profile South African entrepreneur and Founding Director of Award winning Silulo Ulutho Technoligies. A Cape Town based ICT services company with over twenty branches. He was recently named as one of the 2016 Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2004, Luvuyo opened an internet café in Khayelitsha, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. This has since grown, into a one-stop-shop IT franchise business, Silulo Ulutho Technologies. It offers everything from computer and mobile phone sales and repairs, to services such as website development, CV creation, printing, scanning, faxing, binding, lamination, typing of letters, computer training skills and even design of custom obituaries.

Entrepreneurship means different things to different people. Some imagine tech geniuses with Silicon Valley startups, while others picture small business owners opening up their shop doors on the streets. Ultimately, entrepreneurship encompasses these and many other business ventures that share a commitment to turning an idea into a profitable business.People who are thinking about starting their own business should understand that successful entrepreneurship involves much more than having a great concept. Coming up with an idea, is just one part of it. It's also important to know, right from the start, how you will reach interested customers in an effective and affordable way.This week on the show, we find out more about Microsoft For Afrika’s free, downloadable online toolkits for small business owners in Africa and also speak to Belinda Baraka a young entrepreneur based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Starting an entirely new business is uncharted territory for most people. It offers great rewards, but equally high risks. About 80% of all new small businesses fail within the first five years. Wanting to be your own boss isn’t enough to make you successful and before you set up shop, you need to think hard about whether you have the right temperament, leadership skills, support system and dedication to be an entrepreneur. This week on the show we look at the Entrepreneurs Growth Centre, a facility in South Africa that provide free support and service assistance to local entrepreneurs and we speak to Christo Botes the Executive Director of Business Partners Limited…

Entrepreneurs occupy a central position in a market economy. For it's the entrepreneurs who serve as the spark plug in the economy's engine, activating and stimulating all economic activity. The economic success of nations worldwide is the result of encouraging and rewarding the entrepreneurial instinct.A society is prosperous only to the degree to which it rewards and encourages entrepreneurial activity because it is the entrepreneurs and their activities that are the critical determinant of the level of success, prosperity, growth and opportunity in any economy. The most dynamic societies in the world are the ones that have the most entrepreneurs, plus the economic and legal structure to encourage and motivate entrepreneurs to greater activities. We profile two young South African Entrepreneurs who have tapped into South Africa’s growing entrepreneurial space and they are S’mangele Mabaso Founder of Mzilikazi Legacy Group and Lesego Molotsi a young aspiring entrepreneur in South Africa and currently the sales director at Epic Dynamix….

On this programme, we profile Awethu Project an organization that has positioned itself as one of the most progressive, young, black and innovative entrepreneurship development companies in South Africa and we speak to Gareth Taylor who is the Senior Incubation Manager at Awethu Project. The organization has incubated more than five-hundred entrepreneurs and developed some of the world’s most innovative models for investing in SMMEs. The Awethu Project is a progressive and innovative entrepreneurship development company that was started in 2009. They use a ground-breaking model to identify high potential individuals that either want to start up businesses, or are currently running businesses, and want to see them grow.

The Workplace: This week on the show, we look at the Entrepreneur Club an initiative by telecommunications company, Orange. The Entrepreneur Club is a new space for information in French and English devoted to entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East. The Entrepreneur Club is a source of information for entrepreneurs that puts them in touch with a variety of instruments from Orange that support entrepreneurship. It also provides practical information and tools for company creation. We speak to Sara Rabhi the Project Manager for Entrepreneurship, Africa Social Venture Prize and the Entrepreneur Club at Orange and Catherine Flouvat the Head of CSR for Middle-East & Africa at Orange….

The Workplace: This week on the show, we look at Samsung South Africa’s Mixed Talents Campaign, a technological platform that will enable thousands of South African youngsters to realise their dreams. Samsung Electronics South Africa has launched its Mixed Talents campaign which aims to find a solution to one of the country’s most pressing social problems – youth unemployment. South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. We speak to Carol Koffman the Ambassador for the Mixed Talents Campaign…

This week on the show, we look at township entrepreneurship in South Africa and speak to entrepreneurs that contribute to the growth of townships economies… Entrepreneurship is vitally important to the economic and social development of South Africa. Through innovation, entrepreneurs create new, competitive markets and businesses which lead to job creation and have a multiplying effect on the economy. Entrepreneurship empowers citizens and is required for any emerging market to move forward and successfully integrate into the global economy. South African Townships are packed with thriving entrepreneurial activity, but township entrepreneurs have often been overlooked and their businesses locked out from the formal economy. While youth unemployment in South Africa continues to be a major problem, many young entrepreneurs are using their imagination to create their own opportunities.

WeThinkCode, a new peer-to-peer tech institution keen to identify and train people for free to become world-class programmers, has been launched in South Africa. This institution aims to eliminate the information technology skills gap in the country, promising to train young people to become software engineers in a peer- to-peer problem solving and learning environment. ‎ We speak to Camille Agon is the Co-Founder of WeThinkCode to find out more about tuition free course and also look at software engineering as a career…

The risk of climate change is all around us and it is quite apparent that the most vulnerable in society are bearing the brunt of this risk. Whether you speak to small-scale farmers in the rolling slopes of the Rwenzori mountains in Uganda, where rainfall has dropped by more than 20% or you speak to a township dweller in the outskirts of Cape Town, whose shack has been razed by a recent fire, the story is the same. Severe change in weather patterns is rapidly eroding their livelihoods and there are hardly enough social safety nets to help them cope.Building an inclusive green economy lies at the centre of finding solutions that help build social and ecological resilience, but also provide an opportunity for such groups to partake in identifying the solutions that works best for their local context. To achieve an inclusive green economy therefore requires a bottom-up approach to encourage meaningful participation in the process, backed by strong policy signals from the top.The real opportunity of creating meaningful change is through activating local economies, to enable those at the frontline of climate risk to defend themselves. This is because most of the climate-related risks inevitably translate into social problems or a local ecological crisis that need to be addressed at that level. Most importantly those who are faced by the prevalent risks must be at the forefront of devising solutions that are sustainable, through green entrepreneurship for example.Green entrepreneurship, which is a term used to describe entrepreneurial activities that focus on ecological outcomes, plays an important role in addressing social and economic challenges that are associated with climate change. One would expect that due to the well-documented effects of climate change at the local level in South Africa, there would be a hive of green entrepreneurial activities at the local level that seek to turn climate risks into opportunities. Sadly this seems not to be the case, where in many cases environmental issues are still regarded as peripheral and lack well-established support structures in terms of business incubation and finance for small- and micro enterprises.Today on the show profile the Innovation Hub’s Climate Innovation Centre South Africa (CICSA), in partnership with the World Bank's InfoDev programme for supporting entrepreneurs…

Entrepreneurs are highly creative individuals with a tendency to imagine new solutions by finding opportunities for profit or reward. They are catalysts for social, economic and technological change. In Zimbabwe and Africa where unemployment rate is very high, more and more young people have abandoned traditional corporate career paths in favor of the increased independence and financial rewards that are possible through entrepreneurship. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that some 88 million young women and men throughout the world are unemployed, accounting for 47 per cent of 186 million unemployed persons globally.With economic, social, technological changes looming throughout the world, entrepreneurship has become a key career choice for most young people in Zimbabwe and beyond. Higher learning institutions in Zimbabwe, graduates over fifteen thousand students every year with qualifications ranging from certificates to doctorates. Most people who graduate every year do not find formal employment hence they are compelled to start their own business ventures. In response to the failure by companies to absorb all graduates the government of Zimbabwe through various ministries, have encouraged youth to express themselves and venture into new and innovative businesses. One of the key pathways out of poverty is income generation in the urban areas. Changes in the environment and economic hardships meant young people had to find survival strategies which were divorced from formal employment. The only option that is available is starting new business ventures. Poverty and the deteriorating conditions of university and college graduates are key factors that motivate young people to abandon their families and migrate to urban areas to earn a living through starting new business ventures such as buying and selling, engineering, mechanics and construction. Entrepreneurship is thus deemed by many youths as a worthwhile survival strategy because it meets the needs of their families. Today on the show we look at the state of youth entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe…

Entrepreneurship is said to be a key driver of any economy. Wealth and a high majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by business minded individuals, many of whom go on to create big businesses. People exposed to entrepreneurship frequently express that they have more opportunity to exercise creative freedoms, higher self-esteem, and an overall greater sense of control over their own lives. As a result, many experienced business people, political leaders, economists, and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximize individual and collective economic and social success on a local, national, and global scale.Entrepreneurship creates job opportunities, contributes to economic growth and provides strength to small businesses. With economic, social, technological changes looming throughout the world, entrepreneurship has become a key career choice for most young people.Today we look at the Accelerated Business Development Programme (ABDP) in South Africa…

Computer science is a discipline that spans theory and practice. It requires thinking both in abstract terms and in concrete terms. The practical side of computing can be seen everywhere. Nowadays, practically everyone is a computer user, and many people are even computer programmers. Getting computers to do what you want them to do requires intensive hands-on experience. But computer science can be seen on a higher level, as a science of problem solving. Computer scientists must be adept at modeling and analyzing problems. They must also be able to design solutions and verify that they are correct. Problem solving requires precision, creativity, and careful reasoning.Computer science also has strong connections to other disciplines. Many problems in science, engineering, health care, business, and other areas can be solved effectively with computers, but finding a solution requires both computer science expertise and knowledge of the particular application domain. Thus, computer scientists often become proficient in other subjects.It has a wide range of specialties. These include computer architecture, software systems, graphics, artifical intelligence, computational science, and software engineering. Drawing from a common core of computer science knowledge, each specialty area focuses on particular challenges.Today on the show we look at the MTN Business Mind2Machine challenge and also the career of a Software Developer in the field of Computer Science…

Today on the show we look at the Anzisha Prize Awards 2015 that recently took place in Rivonia, Johannesburg South Africa. The awards coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) which aims to recognize entrepreneurs and their contributions to society, as well as inspire people from all walks of life to consider entrepreneurship as one way to become financially independent….

Over thousand-five-hundred delegates representing one-thousand-seven-hundred and fifty companies, attended DISCOP 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a single most importantly international platform for Film Producers, TV Broadcasters and Media Practitioners. DISCOP is not only a great opportunity for local content producers to network with potential buyers to form lucrative ventures, but it’s also a great opportunity to interact with oragnisations like the Africa Media Institute amongst others that were involved in panel discussions and dialogue sessions to raise for example issues of transformation affecting the Africa media landscape and also to raise issues that local content producers should be aware of if they want to stay ahead of their game. Phil Molefe is the Chairman of the Africa Media Institute…

According to the National Treasury Research on SMMEs conducted in 2008, South Africa has an estimated 2.8 million small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) which contribute 52 to 57 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. SMMEs also provide about 60 percent of jobs, and contribute more than 40 percent of the country’s total remuneration. This means that SMME’s in South Africa employ more people than private sector and government combined. Out of the 53 million population of South Africa, 5.1 million people are unemployed, and 2.4 million are discouraged from looking for a job. If the two figures are combined and put both in the category of unemployed, this means that 13.2% of the entire population is not working. SMMEs are now more needed especially when the private sector is shedding quite a lot of jobs. One only has to look at the growth booms in the East Asian economies in the late 1990s and early 2000s to realise that it was largely thanks to a strong SME sector. The reality is that SMMEs are critical to the economy of the country, and are an important link in creating much needed employment.Today on the show we look at the sequel to the inaugural National Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMME) Policy Colloquium that was first held in 2014 in South Africa….

Today on the show we look at Tiso Foundation that has partnered with leading educational institutions since its inception to create programmes that innovatively support and enable talented young people to realise their full potential…

The Workplace: South Africa commemorates National Book Week in September. It is an initiative of the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture.Reading statistics report that only 14% of the South African population are active book readers, and a mere 5% of parents read to their children. National Book Week is an important initiative in encouraging the nation to value reading as a fun and pleasurable activity and to showcase how reading can easily be incorporated into one’s daily lifestyle.The commemoration coincides with International Literacy Day on 8 September.

South Africa has moved towards curbing unemployment and creating conducive environment for upcoming entrepreneurs by creating a government ministry dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and small to medium businesses. The Ministry of Small Business Development headed by Minister Lindiwe Zulu. Its major task is to deal with red tape that has over the years hindered innovation and progress within upcoming but disadvantaged entrepreneurs.Today we showcase the work of a young successful entrepreneur. We find out how it all started for her and how to turn your business into a successful one….

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in South Africa has opened online applications for 2016 financial aid for poor and deserving students from 17 August 2015 and will close on 30 November 2015. The applications for funding are currently open for students wishing to study at selected public universities and TVET colleges. Grade 12 learners and students can now logon the NSFAS website www.nsfas.org.za to apply and submit applications.

This week on the Workplace we looking at the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) Opportunity Roadshows that have been taking place around South Africa. The Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME Opportunity Roadshows is a gathering for entrepreneurs to network and get insight on how best to take their businesses to the next level through four master classes in: financial management, human resources, information and communications technology as well as sales and marketing. The first SMME Roadshow Opportunity took place at Emperor’s Palace in Ekurhuleni municipality highlighting the importance of businesses working together to combat social inequalities and boundaries.

Today on the show we look at the find out what is the National Empowerment Fund and how does it empower women entrepreneurs in South Africa

On the show this week we find out how is technology changing Africa and we look at the latest technology trends in the continent. Recently Frontier Advisory a strategy and investment advisory firm hosted a forum: New Tech for New Africa in Johannesburg. By the end of this year there will be over one billion Africans using mobile phones, one third of which will use their phones to make and receive payments. The implications for business are enormous. Technology will change the face of Africa as we know it; and investors, entrepreneurs and governments alike are using technology and new platforms to drive the socio-economic development of the continent.One of the most powerful technologies driving growth in Africa is the ubiquitous mobile phone. Africa is largely still using feature phones, but smart phone usage is growing and will increase the levels of engagement for enterprises interacting with Africans on these platforms. With ‘smarter’ phones comes access to the internet and most of its content, allowing Africans the ability to not only access new services, goods and information - financial services for example - but also the opportunity to market their own businesses and reach new consumers through the internet.

This weekend on “The Workplace” we look at Microsoft’s BizSpark programme. Microsoft South Africa recently held a round table to discussion on entrepreneurship in South Africa. The panel answered various questions surrounding entrepreneurship and the expansion of small business, especially in the technology sector, and how that presents opportunity to for job creation in South Africa

It is a weekly careers programme that targets high School learners, those from historically disadvantaged back ground especially the girl child. The programme seeks to portray various careers and professional options that are available and, at the same time, demystify the careers making the learners aware of their own capabilities to attain the professions. We also do a focus on entrepreneurship in Africa.

On the show we look at solutions to many of the marketing problems encountered by small medium enterprises (SMES) in South Africa. An innovative and versatile business-centric complete printing solution – The Sample Site, has been developed in South Africa especially for SMEs by photographic printing company, Printstagram. The new Sample Site is designed for easy use and removes the traditional issues that are problematic for small enterprises, such as design and Desktop Publishing (DTP).