Campaign pairs leading expert and millennial to address the problem in fresh and exciting way  

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Samsung Electronics South Africa has launched its “Mixed Talents" campaign today, which aims to find a solution to one of the country’s most pressing social problems – youth unemployment.    With one of the highest jobless rates in the world, young South Africans are struggling to find opportunities for success in the corporate world. They therefore need to create their own, entrepreneurship being one of the most under utilised outlets in which to do so. The problem is not lack of skills, drive or knowledge, but an inability to express their ideas and unlock their potential.

This is according to research into “Afrillennials” (South Africans aged between 18 – 35) from LSM 8 -10, recently conducted by Samsung*. This research saw that while many young South Africans have sound business ideas, they don’t know how to turn these into reality and capitalise on opportunities (49% of respondents cited this as an issue). This is how the Samsung Mixed Talents campaign was conceptualised; by bringing together two of the country’s brightest minds within their fields of expertise to devise the ideal solution to a pressing issue. Over the next few months, in a series of workshops, they will work together to develop a prototype. They will develop an innovative solution in a fresh and compelling way, using Samsung technology as an enabler.

Michelle Potgieter, Director of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Samsung SA, explains, “We have identified a social need and want to be part of the solution. Our Mixed Talents campaign brings together two diverse and talented people – Carol Koffman and Jonathan Liebmann –  to tackle a very real issue that impacts on all of us, and find a solution that will ultimately help South Africans turn their dreams into a reality. At Samsung we believe in making a difference and having a positive impact. We want to enrich people’s lives, and our hope for this campaign is that it will be meaningful. Samsung’s culture of innovation is reaching beyond product to help people everywhere realise their potential. We are committed to creating positive change through the transformative power of technology.”

The expert pair will work towards a solution over the next three months (October 2015 – December 2015) in a series of weekly workshops, and will unveil it at a celebratory event in February 2016.  “This campaign is exciting because we are giving our experts the tools and support, even though we are not yet certain how it will unfold. This isn’t about us – it is about empowering our youth, and Samsung is just providing the platform for thinking about things in a unique way. Our hope for the campaign is a new way of solving an existing problem. We have an exciting journey ahead of us – one that could make a real and lasting difference in many people’s lives and positively affect the future of our country,” concluded Potgieter.

South Africa’s “Mixed Talents” approach forms part of Samsung’s global "Launching People" campaign which identifies and features inspiring individuals across the globe and with Samsung's support and access to advanced technology, demonstrates how the impossible can become reality. South Africa was selected as one of eight countries out of 86 to take part in this global movement to create and inspire change through the use of Samsung technology.

About the Expert: Carol Koffman
In May 2001, Carol and a partner started 7i, an organisational design specialist aimed at improving organisational performance, with a focus on configuration, skills audits, gap analysis, function optimisation, workflow and team analysis. She then started a career in consulting after working in the UK, where she discovered her passion for human resources.She was one of the first lecturers at the Wits Business School, Public and Development Management School (PDM), and was involved in developing a new human resource development programme for many of its management programmes. She also served as Director for Independent Mediation Services of South Africa and contributed to the design and development of many of its initiatives.Carol is trained in counselling psychology.

About the Millennial: Jonathan Liebmann
Following a series of entrepreneurial ventures, Jonathan Liebmann founded Propertuity in 2008, with a vision to create a well-designed and affordable integrated urban offering. This was the beginning of the development of the Maboneng neighbourhood. A forerunner of the Johannesburg inner city regeneration efforts, Propertuity has acquired over a square kilometre of property in the Maboneng area, which to date, has attracted over 1500 new residents and businesses to the CBD. Propertuity is about to begin their first property venture outside of Maboneng, in Rivertown, Durban CBD.  Jonathan graduated from Monash University with a BComm in Accounting in 2004. He was invited to speak at TEDxStellenbosch in 2011, and has participated in many forums including the World Economic Forum in Addis Ababa in May 2012. He was one of Forbes’ top 30 entrepreneurs under the age of 30 in 2012 and 2013, as well as Mail & Guardian’s top 200 young South Africans in 2010.   

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 319,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com. For more information on the campaign, visit www.launchingpeople.co.za  *Samsung commissioned Masutane Consulting Services to conduct online research into over 300 young South Africans from ages 18 – 35 to gauge their perceptions on a range of issues. The research was entitled “Project Youth Debrief”.