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UpLift Youth Entrepreneur Programme

Creating ecosystems of opportunity

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UpLift is driving entrepreneurial skills development and creating sustainable income opportunities for youth

Unlocking opportunities for young entrepreneurs is an important part of South Africa’s economic recovery and growth. UpLift seeks to connect aspiring youth to sustainable income opportunities through entrepreneurship. Keeping a keen eye on supply and demand, UpLift develops and supports entrepreneurs as they test and grow their businesses.

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Unlocking potential through skills development

With a persistent shortage of formal employment in South Africa, UpLift works on the ground to unlock the economic potential of young entrepreneurs.

We do this through interactive learning activities, including:

Skills development workshops
Business coaching and mentorship
Investor-readiness support
Practical business tools
Programme Impact in FY2024

Financial period

2 April 2023 to 30 March 2024
Our Footprint
* Figures will be audited and updated in FY2024.
UpLift is creating hope for youth by testing and growing new opportunities
  • The six-month Wastepreneur Programme in Durban is training entrepreneurs to unlock the value of plastic waste. The new Innovation Hub in Cornubia (Durban) is an industrious operating hub where wastepreneurs repurpose waste using newly-acquired skills. We are proud to partner with CHEP and The Litterboom Project in this intiative.

  • The 12-week Entrepreneurship Development Programme, offered in partnership with Startup School,  helps youth turn their ideas and side hustles into success stories. This fully-online programme provides a comprehensive curriculum covering business planning, marketing strategies and financial management, networking opportunities and access to expert coaches and seasoned entrepreneurs.
  • The 12-month Grassroots Entrepreneurial Programme, offered in partnership with Niya Consulting, is uplifting post-matrics and graduates in local communities with business mentoring and coaching, and access to market as per their individual entrepreneurial needs.  

     

Waste not, want not

“The Wastepreneur Programme has changed my life in all kinds of ways. It has given me financial freedom. It has given me more ideas. It has given me life. If I didn’t do this, I think I would still be sitting at home without a job.”

Nelson Dumakude

Graduate of the Wastepreneur Programme

The Litterboom Project
Our stories
Partner with us

UpLift collaborates with like-minded partners to identify opportunities and create sustainable small businesses. Contact us to discuss partnering with the programme – and let’s supercharge the future!

Our partners
Answers to the most frequently asked
questions about UpLift

We run various programmes under UpLift. As a minimum, candidates should be unemployed South African citizens, aged 18 to 33, with no criminal record. Applicants should have a hunger for self-employment and drive to succeed as entrepreneurs.

Candidates are sourced from online campaigns and from identifed communities where training will be held. 

We run various programmes under UpLift, ranging from the 12-week online Startup School programme to 12-month entrepreneur development.

Training for the Wastepreneur Programme is held in Durban.  The Grassroots Entrepreneurial Programme is based in KwaZulu-Natal, and the  Entrepreneurship Development Programme is national. Startup School is an online-based programme and is not location specific. 

No, although preference is given to candidates who live in, or near, communities where UpLift is expanding into.

On successful completion of training, candidates will be mentored on their entrepreneurial journey.
No, UpLift does not provide sponsorships. Please see Mr Price Foundation’s donation request application page.
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