FIVE young entrepreneurs will fly the City of Ekurhuleni flag high at the 2023 G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit in New Delhi, India this month.
The summit will be held in New Delhi from 13-15 July.
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This came after a group of five people from the city was named the winners of the annual Ekurhuleni Festival of Ideas pitching competition.
At the Festival of Ideas, young entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their business models to win cash prizes that they can use to promote their businesses.
But in 2023 there was an added incentive of attending the G20 Summit.
Themba Nkosi and Mbali Sigasa said they were happy to be among the five entrepreneurs who will travel to India.
Themba (30), owner of Carte Fruit n Vegetable from Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni, said the opportunity to attend the G20 summit in India will be a learning experience in terms of socio-economic dynamics, especially how other countries use agriculture and food security programmes.
"It's an opportunity for me to learn how other countries operate and learn about cultural exchange, empowerment, learning, skills development and understanding in a global perspective," he said.
Themba said their branded trolley business serves as mobile markets, delivering fresh produce directly to customers' neighbourhoods.
"My company is an exciting start-up called Carte fruit n Vegetables.
"We are changing the way fresh fruit and vegetables are distributed, creating convenience and accessibility for communities while supporting local farmers, creating jobs, promoting healthy eating and sustainable livelihoods.
"We have an 8,9 acre farm that will supply us with fresh fruit and vegetables and where we will apply our agricultural processing techniques such as harvesting, cleaning and packaging to ensure the highest quality standards from farm to customer."
Mbali Sigasa of CGT Manufacturing, located at Sunward Park in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, sees the journey as part of upskilling her knowledge.
She said: "I am looking forward to the opportunity to travel to India, especially because we will meet other players in the global manufacturing space.
"This will allow us to grow as a company and compete globally."
She said her company was founded in 2015 by her brother Castro Sigasa with the goal of manufacturing steel-based components for the automotive sector.
"We have secured the support of Naamsa and Naacam in terms of licencing and regulatory requirements.
"In the next 18 months, we aim to be a manufacturer and supplier for one, if not all, of the seven local based original equipment manufacturer,"
Ekurhuleni municipal spokesman Zweli Dlamini said the winners will travel to India on Tuesday, 11 July.
"This year, nearly 200 hopefuls presented their business models to a panel of experienced industry leaders, and the five were selected to be part of the country's delegation attending the summit because their contribution stood out from the rest," he said.
"These young people will join hundreds of the world's leading young entrepreneurs to share ideas and best practices for running a business"
