Zenzele means ‘Do it for yourself’ in isiXhosa, and is indicative of the need for youth to become active job seekers and opportunity creators as youth unemployment remains a crisis. By launching Zenzele, Zinto is addressing the need for education and youth self-employment and this is achieved by instilling self-confidence, promoting self-esteem, and self-discipline to help them adapt and meet the expectations of the working world as entrepreneurs or as employees.

“The youth can no longer sit back and wait for government to create much-needed work, but instead with some self-confidence and the support to identify their own skills and creative ability, they can go out and make opportunities work for themselves in a variety of industry sectors where good client services and sales are always a valued skill (and in short supply),” Combrinck says.

“By launching Zenzele, we are addressing the need for education and youth employment head-on. Over the years, we have identified a gap in the market for professional marketers and recruit in eKasi (townships). These ‘new suburbs’ are a hotbed of talent hoping for a ‘golden ticket’ and the chance to earn an income. Many of these individuals possess the latent physical and practical skills needed to execute campaigns and sell products to consumers via the performing arts. What they lack, the theoretical and practical applications of sales and marketing, can be taught coupled with computer skills, business etiquette, building self-esteem, and the confidence to take a leap of faith between their ordinary life and the working world,” adds Combrinck.

Combrinck has appointed Thembeka Xipu as the project manager of the training and incubation centre assisted by Thobile Lephondo, Peter Rolland, Eddie Matladi, and Duke Maseko.

Xipu, who has won two Provincial Teachers Awards and has 15 years experience in education, says, “Many matriculants enter colleges or universities after school to study various courses but many cannot find their way into these institutions, so where do they acquire life and business skills, and what becomes of them? Although Zenzele is not a university or college, it acts as a springboard towards a formal qualification or business prospects and the possibility to earn an income and become economically active citizens.”

In 2017, Zenzele will open its doors to 1 000 learners and the SETA accredited course and textbook will be available free of charge to students accepted for the 2017 programme.

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