The Red Bull Amaphiko Academy gives wings to social entrepreneurs

The Red Bull Amaphiko Academy “helped me realise the potential of my business and how it could become sustainable”, previous academy participant Thabang Mabapa said.

Mabapa runs Selokong Sa Dimelana, a biofuel production company that focuses on farming and using caster oil.

Sixteen of the country’s top social entrepreneurs hope to follow in Mabapa’s footsteps with the next Amaphiko programme taking place from 19 to 28 May.

The Amaphiko Academy is Red Bull’s venture into finding and developing successful entrepreneurs within SA.

During their time, the startups will undergo mentorship from top local and international entrepreneurs and other innovators. The programme will also put the startups through lectures, workshops and provide them with necessary resources such as access to networks.

The Red Bull Amaphiko Academy will give social entrepreneurs a platform to ‘learn’ and ‘grow’

After their time in the programme, participants will continue to engage with their mentors one-on-one over the following 18-months to further develop their business strategies.

The 16 participants accepted into the academy are:

• Bin Clean Project (Buhle Sithela) — Combines cleaning bins with raising awareness of hygiene issues through Solar Cinema.
• I Am Selfmade (Ntlahla Nkukwana) — An online platform which aims to improve financial literacy, teaching financial management and investment skills.
• Grow Box Wholesale Nursery (Renisha Manuel) — Aims to enable people to grow their own vegetables through portable growboxes.
• Presto Academy ( Shivad Singh) — Is a P2P learning model aiming to make education more accessible.
• Technovera (Neo Hutiri) — Has developed an automated system which reduces the time spent for patients waiting to collect chronic medication.
• Yakh’iphupha (Palesa Mahlatji) — Is a non-profit initiative which addresses unemployment by offering small-scale job creation strategies.
• Sidingulwazi Holdings Co-Operative Limited (Jabulani Dlamini) — Has developed a device inspired by photosynthesis to reduce air pollution.
• Kebalepile Technologies and Innovations (Moses Kebalepile) — Developed an electrical medical device which computes and grades the various stages of asthma. The device also has the capacity to predict possible asthma attacks.
• Hustlenomics (Nhlanhla Ndlovu) — Helps shack dwellers convert their homes into safer structures.
• Kids Hub (Randy Mampuru) — Has created ‘safe spaces’ for learners to do their homework assisted by university students.
• Khof & Khuk Bakery (Thato Mafokoane) — Teaches young people how to bake and make a living for themselves.
• Applied Sciences (Bathabile Mpofu) — Has developed a mini science kit called ChemStart for high school learners to use at home. 
• ZuluGal Retro — (Nozipho Zulu) — Trains people with special needs to produce handcrafted fashion accessories.
• Kusini Water (Murendeni Mafumo) — Is a mobile solar powered water purification system that uses locally sourced macadamia nut shells combined with an off-grid power system to provide safe drinking water.
• Employ Me South Africa (Whitney Jacobs) — Is an online platform which allows job-seekers to create online video CVs.
• Sk8 for Gr8 (Alison Harris) — Hosts workshops where local designers work one-on-one with children, taking them through the various processes of design such as research, brainstorming, creating and executing the final product.

Featured image: Moses Kebalepile