Winter 2007

Jewellery a goldmine for young business winner

After having to leave school in grade 6 to work as a farm labourer and so help support his 10 siblings, 34-year old Ernest Maponyane has traveled a long way to win the South African Breweries (SAB) KickStart competition’s Business of the Year award.

13 February 2009

The KickStart youth entrepreneurial programme and annual awards were initiated in 1995 and has helped Maponyane and 22 000 other young South Africans to create successful business ventures. And the R180 000 Maponyane received as prize money will go a long way to ensuring his jewellery manufacturing business will continue to thrive.

The SAB media statement notes his first step from farm worker to jewellery business owner came when he moved from the North West province to Johannesburg, initially working as a gardener.

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