Shanduka Black Umbrella’s Western Cape regional manager Donovan Goliath with provincial minister Alan Winde, top award-winner Madambi Rambuda and Shanduka Black Umbrella’s chief executive officer, Mark Frankel.
Last month saw the relaunch of Shanduka Black Umbrellas’ (SBU) Cape Town office that will now provide incubation support for up to 50 small business owners.
The relaunch also coincided with the business incubator’s regional awards evening and graduation ceremony which was attended by government ministers as well as representatives from big business and small business owners.
Mogamat Reza Galant, enterprise development manager at SBU’s Cape Town office, said the relaunch was held to celebrate the organisation’s new office space which will allow for an additional 20 startups to be accommodated at the business incubator.
“Startup business owners are welcome to apply for these spaces which are still available. They can go onto our website or come to our offices for orientation,” says Galant.
He adds that orientation sessions take place every Wednesday where business owners can workshop their business ideas with the incubator.
Galant says the most important thing the organisation looks for in business owners is whether they have passion, commitment and drive. They also check whether applicants have a clear goal of where they want to go.
“We can take you to success, but we need you to be active every step of the way,” he points out.
The qualities Galant mentions were all evident in the award winners, particularly in Madambi Rambuda, owner of Roswika Media, who took top honours on the night when he graduated from the incubation programme.
Rambuda, who was presented with the Best Performing Company award and Most Jobs Created award, says he started his business while studying at the University of Cape Town.
He jokes that while the rest of his peers were trying to get into politics he was trying to become a millionaire.
On accepting the Most Jobs Created award, Rambuda says, “I initially planned to make money alone, but SBU showed me that I could employ people and share my wealth”.
On a more serious note, he added that although on paper it reflects that he created five jobs, in reality the number is around 30.
This is because he also employs university students on a part-time basis.
Business partners Zubair and Wardah Bester, owners of The HR Mac, clinched the Best SBU Ambassador award as well and the third place for the Most Jobs Created.
“Thank you to SBU for making it possible to achieve my dream. The big word here is ‘collaborate’. This is what has brought our turnover to R300 000,” says Zubair.
Other winners on the night were Just Amber Media’s Peter Stoffberg, Siyahluma Nathi Consultants’ Yolisa Molefe, Nirabritz Nature Guides and Tours’ Billy Magan and F-Khiva Consulting’s Fikile Khiva.
SBU’s regional manager Donovan Goliath described the decision-making process for the awards as a “tough battle” and added that because of the good calibre of businesses vying for an award the adjudicators were “splitting hairs” to make sure the adjudication process was a fair one.
Regional winners from Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban will now be entered for the organisation’s national awards which take place in June.
- For more information on business support, go to www.shandukablackumbrellas.org