Entrepreneurship is an important tool that can help create jobs in the country. This is the view of Katleho Mahloane, the Executive Head of Commercial and Business Banking Marketing at FNB. at the launch of the Cape Town KAMERS/Makers event. Africa’s largest artisan market made a return to Blaauwklippen, Stellenbosch in March.
Entrepreneurship can create jobs
Mahloane says KAMERS/Makers is a powerful incubator for South African small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). He says KAMERS/Makers, the country’s leading artisan platform, connect local entrepreneurs with real opportunities to scale, trade, and thrive.
Artisan Market saw over 500 entrepreneurs in the country
The KAMERS/Makers Brand Director, Jeremy Doveton-Helps says for over 2 decades, KAMERS/Makers has been a launchpad for independent artisans. It has given more than 500 entrepreneurs in the country, direct access to over 60,000+ shoppers annually.
The EMBRYONIX Initiative
Mahloane says this year the partnership between MAKERS/Kamers and FNB saw the EMBRYONIX Initiative see the light of day. He says the artisan accelerator is designed to equip raw creative talents with real-world business skills as well as practical artisan mentorship from established Kamers Makers.
The marketing expert added, “Embryonics is really, you know, a propeller.”
MORE ABOUT: TOP WESTERN CAPE ENTREPRENEURS CROWNED
Mahloane says that selected ‘Apprentisans’ will be matched with Maker Mentors for them to refine their craft and learn to run a sustainable business, culminating in an exclusive showcase at the year-end KAMERS/Makers market. In the long run, more entrepreneurs will be born. This in turn will help with job creation.
“It’s for those that are born on the other side of the fence and do not necessarily have the access to markets, the skills, the machinery to be able to come and showcase at KAMERS,” Mahloane says.
He says artisans will be further trained by established artisans as a way of knowledge sharing, mentoring and coaching. He says anyone can apply to the programme.
READ MORE: How to apply to EMBRYONIX
The KAMERS/Makers journey continues with these upcoming markets:
- 04 – 09 March – at Blaauwklippen, Stellenbosch
- 30 April – 04 May at St David’s Marist in Johannesburg
- 28 May – 01 June at Menlyn Maine in Pretoria
- READ MORE: NEW CAMPAIGN TO CELEBRATE CITIZEN ENTREPRENEURS, GROW THE ECONOMY
