Johannesburg - They transformed the lives of millions of schoolgirls with their “Bring a Girl Child To Work” campaign. They then shifted their focus to the young men of South Africa with their “What about the Boys” campaign, targeting young boys to become better men and fight GBV.
Now, Primestars are embarking on a bold new venture to grow young entrepreneurs for the green economy with their “Step Up To 2 A Start Up” campaign.
The initiative aims to inspire a culture of entrepreneurship and wealth creation within our youth. It focuses on raising young entrepreneurs for a changing climate by addressing climate change and unemployment concurrently for the sustainability of our country.
Last year the CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Olivier Schwab, launched the WEF New Champions Local Chapter, South Africa’s first WEF chapter in partnership with South African business. As a part of this milestone, the WEF nominated and adopted only three African impact projects to collaborate with on a local and global stage. Step Up 2 A Start Up is proudly one of those three projects.
Speaking at the launch of the Step Up 2 A Green Start Up, the founder and managing director of Primestars, Martin Sweet, said the continent is particularly vulnerable to warming impacts.
“The African Climate Summit is taking place in Nairobi, where ways to fund climate change mitigation in debt-challenged countries are being discussed. The goal is to issue a Nairobi Declaration with tangible climate commitments. The big headline in last week’s Sunday Times read ‘State runs out of money’. Drastic measures were outlined by the Treasury to curb spending and freeze new jobs and projects as revenue dives. Government does not have the capacity to address the myriad of challenges we face.”
He said South Africa is plagued by many ills and it is important to recognise that education is a cure.
“This is why it is crucial for the private sector to get involved and back education-based initiatives so that we can begin to heal our nation and to step up. The world is burning, the hour is late and the moment of consequence so long delayed is now upon us. We have moved from being a part of nature, to being apart from nature. Scientists warn that we have no more than a decade to confront the climate emergency,” said Sweet.
In its Global Risks Report 2022, the WEF cites “Climate Action Failure” as the number one risk in the coming decade. South Africa is a major contributor, having been identified as the 12th biggest source of greenhouse gases.
COP28 in Dubai has been billed as a more technical event, an opportunity to take stock of and implement past decisions, rather than adopting more empty promises. The COP28 presidency has set out a plan of fast-tracking the energy transition, fixing climate finance, focusing on adaptation to protect lives and livelihoods and inclusivity. The plan is guided by a single North Star that is keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.
“Let our generation and future generations work to put out the flames and charter a new green path. Now is the time to rethink how we live, eat, travel, do business, earn our livelihoods and educate our children. Together we can do more to fight rising temperatures. The changes we make to preserve the earth can also protect and strengthen our most vulnerable and neglected communities, creating a safer and more just world for all,” said Sweet.
Primestars emphasised that it was vital that the Climate Change Bill be adopted by Parliament as soon as possible to ensure a long-term just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, saying this will go some way to gearing South Africa to respond safely and adequately to the risks and impacts of climate change.
“When it comes to South Africa, entrepreneurship is touted as the key to combating the youth unemployment crisis in the country. Entrepreneurship is about identifying, creating, and capturing value in areas not seen by others.
“It is a call to action, a beacon of hope, a catalyst for change, an incubator for innovation and creativity. Entrepreneurs have an idea, then put themselves in motion to make it a reality. The mindset to think independently, challenge conventional wisdom, act in a contrarian fashion, reframe fear, cope with adversity and manage failure, allows the youth to create opportunities and persevere until they succeed,” Sweet said.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that the green economy will create 60 million new jobs in the world by 2030 - 1.8 million of which will be in South Africa.
“This will open up avenues to entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of all that this sector has to offer. To develop these entrepreneurs and reduce our high unemployment rate, our youth must be provided with the right tools, skills and inspiration that will enable them to create businesses and become gainful employers in a circular, restorative, inclusive and clean economy,” he said.
While the majority of entrepreneurship programmes target post-matric youth, the Step Up 2 A Green Start Up campaign aims to inspire a culture of entrepreneurship and wealth creation early on in the career development process, by taking it to high schools in urban, peri-urban, township and rural areas.
Primestars also produced a film, “Karabo's Kitchen”, that demonstrates the potential of social and environmental entrepreneurship through a relatable storyline. National screenings run concurrently throughout September in cinemas, rural schools and online. They have developed a practical handbook, together with their academic and practitioner partners, designed to unpack the critical lessons from the film and equip learners with the tools needed to succeed as social entrepreneurs.
“There’s also a competition where we test and support the proposed business solutions of school teams. This culminates in a national entrepreneurship boot camp and the coveted National Youth Awards ceremony set to be held in December.”
This year marks nine years of Step Up 2 A Start Up. Next year, we will all be celebrating a decade of impact through this trailblazing programme. The Step Up 2 A Green Start Up event saw messages of support from Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu. South African writer, lyricist, composer, director, choreographer and theatre producer Dr Mbongeni Ngema was also in the house and thrilled attendees with his unique sounds. Several Miss Earth SA finalists and a Mr SA finalist also attended the launch at the JSE this week.