Thanks to the Installation, Repairs and Maintenance (IRM) Hub project in the Mandeni Municipality, which is supported by the Vuthela iLembe LED Support Programme and implemented by the National Business Initiative (NBI), Indrani Govender of Ricinz Construction was put back on her feet. Phoenix Sun, 22 August 2022.
I was recently shown an inspiring and deeply touching post on a Facebook group for participants in the government’s school assistant programme. At the end of this month, the second cohort of 245 000 young people will finish their 10-month placement in schools. They will join the ranks of approximately 600 000 young South Africans who have participated in the initiative since its launch in 2020. News24, 22 August 2022.
IMF working paper offsets the price of the energy transition against the benefits: the climate damage that is prevented. Business Day, 16 August 2022.
The personal and social costs of the employment crisis are not gender neutral. Women experience disproportionately worse outcomes than men at every stage. In the search for work, barriers for young women are higher and harder to overcome. When they do find work, no matter which job type, women earn less. While we celebrate Women’s Month, Harambee continues to shine a spotlight on the gendered dimension of youth employment in South Africa and the specific actions we can take to address this. Daily Maverick, 10 August 2022.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy, will announce 16 young green entrepreneurs in the Driving Force for Change (DFC) II Youth Challenge, during the award ceremony at Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg on 2 August 2022. The DFC II Youth Challenge builds on the 2020 DFC Youth Initiative to create opportunities for young green entrepreneurs/Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to access the much-needed business acumen support (develop early-stage entrepreneurship skills and competencies) and further develop/refine their businesses plans, respectively. South African Government, 1 August 2022.
With almost half of South Africa’s exports at risk as the country’s key trade partners prioritise imports from low-carbon economies, a new report urges South Africa to roll-out at least 190 GW of renewables by 2050 to sustain its economic competitiveness and lay the basis for employment creation. Titled ‘It all hinges on Renewables’, the report has been published jointly by the National Business Initiative, Business Unity South Africa and the Boston Consulting Group. Mining Weekly, 21 July 2022.
While the country is in the grip of this 15-year-long energy crisis, there is another even slower-burning and longer-running crisis that we have committed to tackle: climate change. And we have committed to stimulating our moribund economy through infrastructure spending via the national infrastructure plan until 2050. Joining Michael Avery for this discussion is Joanne Yawitch, CEO of National Business Initiative; Dr Miriam Altman, director of Altman Advisory and professor of 4IR practice at the University of Johannesburg; as well as independent energy analyst Clyde Mallinson. Business Live South Africa, 14 July 2022.
The UK government-funded Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) programme’s South African operation is calling for investment proposals from local low-carbon projects that would fight climate change but need funding. Funded by the UK government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the CFA in South Africa is implemented by the National Business Initiative (NBI) and GreenCape. Engineering News, 6 July 2022.
As the African Skills Portal for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (ASPYEE) continues to gather good practices across the continent that address the growing problem of youth unemployment and underemployment, the role of partnerships in demand responsive or driven vocational education is emerging as a key strategy. This is all the more urgent in light of the growing challenge facing many young Africans, whereby, despite training, they are unable to find employment because their skills are not relevant for the market. AUDA-NEPAD, 04 July 2022.
Over the past several months Nelson Mandela Bay has been grappling with severe drought and water scarcity issues. The situation has since become critical and many residents are now at risk of not having any water. “Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through their Beyond Advocacy Fund (BAF), have partnered with the National Business Initiative (NBI)’s Technical Assistance Mentorship and Development (TAMDEV) programme to assist the municipality with its drought mitigation plan,” says Olivier Serrao, executive of strategy at BLSA. Polity, 30 June 2022.