Times Of Swaziland: ENTREPRENEURS FOR E16.5M WORLD CUP

ENTREPRENEURS FOR E16.5M WORLD CUP
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Ashmond Nzima on 16/07/2020 08:26:00


MBABANE - An opportunity has been availed for local entrepreneurs to compete in
the second edition of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC).
A total of US$1 million (about E16.5 million in yesterday’s exchange rate) in
cash prizes will be up for grabs. This global competition elevates entrepreneurs
from all stages – (idea, early, growth or beyond) – by providing them with
tools and resources to grow their ventures. The grand prize for the champion is
a whopping US$500 000 (about E8.2 million). Junior Achievement (JA) Eswatini is
the official national organiser for the competition in the country, working
collaboratively with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Eswatini. JA
Acting Executive Director Phetsile Masilela revealed that all applications were
being conducted online through the Entrepreneurship World Cup website
(https://entrepreneurshipworldcup.com). JA will run a local competition for all
participants where the winner will then represent Eswatini at the global
competition.
There is a criteria of those who wish to enter, these can be found on the
registration form. The ages are 18 – 35. “As the national organiser we have
a responsibility to lead the national competition which feeds into the EWC
Global Finals. We encourage all entrepreneurs to take advantage of this
opportunity to compete at a global stage, demonstrating the entrepreneurial and
innovative talent of emaSwati. Judges will evaluate all the applications and the
best business will represent the country in the next round,” Masilela
explained. The winning local business will join other global finalists in the
next round called Accelerate 2, which is a combination of virtual training
sessions and direct, one-to-one mentorship to prepare them for the global finals
to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eligible
The competition is open to new ideas and any start-up businesses with less than
seven years of existence by the date of the Global Finals scheduled for October
2020. Local applicants must have legally registered or planning to register
their businesses in Eswatini to be eligible. The EWC Coordinator, Stanley
Mkhwanazi, has disclosed that the deadline for applications is August 2.