ENGEN PITCH & POLISH IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS!

Pitch to win R80 000 in cash for your biz! Running your own business? Want to run your own business? ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch yourself on to the path of success.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. As all entrepreneurs know, a perfectly polished pitch is one of the keys to growing and succeeding in business.

The ten-year edition of the programme is being hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum, Nedbank and Raizcorp. You can register as a delegate to attend the workshop or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be selected as a contestant.

During one exhilarating, fun, exciting and free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro! The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host.

After the training session, contestants pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience. This is where things get really interesting, with both Justin and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved.

The regional winners of each leg will have the opportunity to be crowned the ultimate pitch champion at the final glittering round of the competition held in Johannesburg later this year.

There are many funders and investors invited to the final and, over the years, finalists (not necessarily the winners) have received millions of rands in investments and hundreds of thousands of rands in grants.Book your place now for the Bloemfontein workshop on 27 July.

SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form, and maybe you will find that R1 million investment you desire.

The South African Institute of Charted Accounts (SAICA), voted Lyle Malander as the overall winner of the prestigious Top 35-under-35 CA(SA) Award in 2018. The Top 35-under-35 competition was launched by SAICA in 2014 to recognise young entrepreneurs from various industries considered to be trailblazers.

 At his maiden 2019 State of Nation Address (SONA), President Cyril Ramaphosa noted economic transformation and job creation as one of seven priorities national government will focus on. In an economy that is not growing, entrepreneurs play a critical role in creating employment opportunities for young people. 

 Malander has accepted the challenge and with the establishment of the Malander Group he is making his contribution towards economic transformation and job creation. The Malander Group was established in 2015 with three areas of focus, namely Malander Advisory, Malander Placements and Malander Digital, the Group was first established as an advisory firm that provides chartered accountancy and financial services expertise to large and listed entities.

 The Malander Group’s evolution is testimony to the power young people have and the vital role they can play in driving South Africa forward. Over the years, the Malander Group has demonstrated consistent progress and incredible drive in its growth which has led to the firm establishing an international office in the United Kingdom. These feats, Malander attributes to the Group’s relentless persistence and unwavering global vision.

With more than 50% of start-up businesses in South Africa failing within 24 months, it becomes ever so important for entrepreneurs to sustain their entrepreneurial drive. 

He says, as a professional, having a vision and holding yourself accountable to your goals is an incredible benchmark which enforces results.  “A few years ago, I barely made the cut for my honours entrance exam. But I was determined to become a chartered account. Back then, I could only dream of having the business we do today. But even then, I knew that simply dreaming it wasn’t going to be enough. We have covered huge ground in a short space of time and as a team we are aware of the long road that still lies ahead of us.

“We are operating in a field where some of our competitors have over 30 years- experience in the industry, but instead of terrifying us, that simply drives us to perform even better and a large number of listed corporations on our portfolio confirms that. Relentless leadership with a clear focused mandate for the business is one of the Group’s cornerstones,” Malander says.  

Having first-hand experience of the mass potential this country and its people has, Malander says South Africa has a lot of opportunities on offer with a huge entrepreneurial spirit as a driving force.  “We have seen Malander Group’s growth is largely due to the highly motivated and qualified individuals who work in it. Our constant evaluation and practice of good corporate citizenship gives us the added advantage. As a Group we are more than an advisory or placement firm, our relationship with our clients is based on an understanding of people’s needs and how Malander Group can assist them to be better,” Malander concludes 

Online trading. A concept that has literally thrust the financial world into the fast lane. But for most armchair investors putting the pedal to the metal to get in on the action of this online infobahn can seem extremely daunting, and without some expert guidance many just get left behind in the pits. With the right tools and support everyone can become a successful trader, but it is also important to continually sustain entrepreneurial growth. With this in mind, CM Trading are running an unprecedented campaign that allows all Business Referrers who introduce new clients to the world of online trading the chance to win a stunning BMW Z4! Yes, you read that right! Just by being a business referrer you could be burning rubber in your very own, very exotic BMW Z4.

CM Trading, an award-winning online trading company is committed to providing an essential investment service to clients who prefer an out-of-the-box approach to investment opportunities. With so many vehicles for financial growth accessible to South African investors, making responsible choices that yield tangible returns requires sound expertise from a partner with a vested interest in your long-term success.

Getting your position on the grid
Knowing just where to start is key to your investment growth. “Although a vast majority of people are familiar with online trading, very few understand exactly where to begin the process”, says Daniel Kibel, Founder and Director of CM Trading. “We are here to rev up the engines in the market. To offer the guidance, tools and support that will become the driving force that not only gets average South African’s into the investment game, but could potentially change one of their lives with our awesome prize.”

Most of us believe that in order to effectively trade, one needs to be an expert with a large sum of investment capital. But this notion has been debunked with their development of new and unique software solutions;  webinars, training videos and e-books – all for free.  “It is important to understand that anyone can become a trader through our unique website and easy to use and understand portals,” says Kibel, ”You don’t have to be a trading genius or have years of experience as a stock broker – we have created the platform to allow you to do it yourself.”

Put both hands on the wheel and take control of your finances
It is important to remember that you are in the driver seat when it comes to the performance of your investments. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but there is simply no quick fix when it comes to making money. It’s up to you to ensure that you’re aware of the risks, mindful of the markets ebb and flow and ultimately make the most out of the opportunity that sound investing offers. When asked if online investing is a savvy financial move, the only advice that Kibel could provide was none. “We are not here to offer investment advice. Our role is to provide our clients with the very best education and tools possible so that each and every one of our traders fulfil their full potential and trade like a pro. It’s a fact that money in the bank provides absolutely no value yield. The return that one can make through online share trading is so much more than the interest rate that the banks will offer you (on a fixed deposit from the major South African banks, the average rate is between nine and ten percent).  Responsible and expertly guided share trading can nett you so much more.”

Providing the driving force behind entrepreneurial growth
Online investment now truly is accessible to one and all. “This is an exciting time to invest. The markets are going wild with the Rand in its current state. Add to that the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, and the stage is set - with the market in a state of flux, one can be assured that there is money to be made”, concludes Kibel.

The crux of the matter is that when it comes to savvy investing, there is no checkered flag offering the sought-after podium finish. Constant warm up laps may be required; you may be forced to slow down and do an economy run every now and then; you will probably have to go up through the gears as you chase pole position… The only certainty is that the online trading circuit, and your navigation of it, is uncertain. It is essentially up to you to choose your team wisely. As the largest Forex broker in SA, and winners of the prestigious Best Performing Broker in Africa Award for the last three years, CM Trading provides a wealth of tools and resources at your fingertips because the better prepared you are, the better your trading performance will be.

To be a part of this incredible campaign to win a BMW Z4 visit www.cmtrading.com  or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Johannesburg, February 6, 2019 – Team Southern Africa Startup Awards today announced the formation of Setup A Startup (Pty) Ltd, a groundbreaking approach to catalyze entrepreneurship and innovation  in Africa. The Southern Africa Startup Awards which is a circuit of the Global Startup Awards will from now on be managed by Setup A Startup (Pty) Ltd.  Mckevin Ayaba, an experienced Startup Ecosystem builder, tech and innovation enthusiast who founded Southern Africa Startup Awards in 2017 and is the CEO, will lead the new organization as its CEO. Mckevin who was recently named Global Goodwill Ambassador for his humanitarian services to the community will take on his new position on Monday February 11, 2019.

BACKGROUND

The world-renowned Global Startup Awards, the largest independent startup ecosystem competition covering 57 countries in 7 regions of Europe and Asia, arrived in Africa in 2017. It launched the first regional startup awards, the Southern Africa Startup Awards in 2018 which saw over 3000 startups and ecosystem players nominated from the 15 SADC countries. It consisted of 15 categories with 14 countries taking home regional Grand Finale prizes. Three of the regional winners got investment deals to scale. The mission is to find, connect, support and celebrate key players in the national and regional startup ecosystems worldwide and to fuse them together in a global entrepreneurial network, creating a matrix of opportunities for international partnerships, investment opportunities and commercial exchange.“While the Awards were a great success, and there’s no denying that Africa has an abundance of innovative tech talent, it is apparent that the continent’s entrepreneurs lag far behind their global peers when it comes to being investment-ready,” says one of the judges and multiple award winning Female tech Entrepreneur and Founder of Obami, Barbara Mallinson.This is one of the outcomes of panel discussion on innovative platforms to fund start-ups in Africa which took place during the Awards, hosted in November 2018 in Johannesburg.Based on the feedback of the Investors who were on the panel, Leron Varsha from Kalon Venture Partners  representing Section 12J Venture Capital, Shakes Motsilili from The AZIZA Project , Marlon Green representing CABAN Investments and the startup founders themselves,  we have taken upon ourselves  ,through a new parent body, SETUP A STARTUP (SAS) in partnership with CABAN INVESTMENT LTD, to develop a whole range of services for entrepreneurs that include:  Services taking startups through to fully operational capitalised businesses; Raising capital for approved startups through our partners Seedslife Caban Impact Fund, a listed African Impact Fund; An Entrepreneurship Education Programme (EEP) that addresses a clear need amongst African founders: “How to start and grow their businesses” and be ready for investment.

SETUP A STARTUP

Setup A Startup (SAS) is a startup organization that aims to Develop, Connect, and promote startups in Africa. They facilitate entrepreneurship education, scout startups for corporates,  startup competitions, and innovation-centric media to accomplish these goals. In partnership with Caban Investment Ltd, SAS helps strengthen startups' competitiveness, grow global champions, scale, and raising capital and create opportunities for startups globally. SAS plays a key role in building a dynamic and sustainable startup ecosystem in Africa.

CABAN Investments

Caban, headed by Dave Romero, is a company born from authentic passion to enable entrepreneurs to succeed in business. A core focus is to invest in high-growth opportunities to maximise returns for shareholders, at the same time also providing a comprehensive service offering to cover all business development and professional business needs. From small start-ups to larger companies, CABAN offers the entire spectrum of business services. The CABAN team have over 100 years of combined entrepreneurship experience, have scaled 100s of companies over a 32 year period.  With offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and London, they are able to scale startups to the European markets.

PROBLEM

Africa is increasingly taking its place on the global stage as a continent of growth and opportunity. Yet critical challenges remain, particularly the need to create a significant number of jobs for the continent’s booming population. Africa must build a cadre of home-grown business leaders able to access global markets and drive growth in a sustainable, inclusive manner. Unfortunately, the following barriers impede Africa’s entrepreneurs:

• Insufficient support services and skill-building resources;
• Lack of access to key resources, such as funding;
• Poor infrastructure and weak innovation ecosystems; 

This shared belief, our common view that each of us has a role to play in turning Africa’s challenges into opportunities, have led to Setup A Startup (SAS) and CABAN Investments undertaking to partner for startup ecosystem development across the continent with a focus on the following;

• Celebrate and connect Startups through an  Awards programme and the Entrepreneur Expo founded by CABAN;
• Helping startups to scale and internationalise through CABAN Investments and Seedlife Caban Impact Investment Fund listed on the Gilbratar Stock Exchange;
• Enable startups through our Entrepreneurship Education programme;
• Driving co-innovation between startups and enterprises;
• Building an access hub of connected ecosystems across African countries. 

“Entrepreneurs are most successful when they have access to the human, financial, and professional resources they need, and operate in an institutional environment in which norms and policies encourage and safeguard entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship flourishes in ecosystems in which multiple stakeholders play key synergistic roles, which often requires multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships” Says Mckevin Ayaba. With that being said, we will be announcing more partnerships in the subsequent days ahead that will helps achieve these goals. 

SETUP A STARTUP Pty Ltd, THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR ENTREPRENEURS! 

Make 2019 count. Hire interns for your team and give SA’s youth a boost into the tech sector.

Register your company’s interest by visiting www.citi.org.za or emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On 11 December 2018, in Cape Town at the CapaCiTi campus in Salt River, 340 young South Africans completed the technical training and received their certificates. They are now ready to be placed in tech internships in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

CapaCiTi, the Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi)’s Tech Career Accelerator, has been preparing young people for the tech sector for 8 years, in 2018 scaling up to support youth and business in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Now, they’re inviting SA business to interview these ambitious young future tech professionals for an internship starting in January.

Addressing a rising youth unemployment in South Africa, yet leveraging growing opportunities in the tech sector and for those with technology skills, CapaCiTi’s programmes are accelerated career pathways for previously unemployed youth. Key to this, is the commitment by SA businesses to create internship opportunities for youth to apply and grow their technical skills and confidence in the workplace. In turn, organizations are able to access temporary tech support for their teams and projects, particularly valuable at the start of a year.

“This year, CapaCiTi is proud to have equipped several hundred SA youth with the relevant training and coaching they need to accelerate their careers into the tech sector. We’re calling on South African businesses to support our future talent on the next six months of their journey, helping them to apply and build their skills and confidence and contribute to the digital economy. They’re ambitious, tenacious, and will add huge value to your teams as you kick off 2019. These young people are the future of South Africa’s tech sector, let’s all join together to help them start their journey towards a successful career that will be life changing,” states Fiona Tabraham, Acting Head of Skills Development, CiTi.

Since 2010, CapaCiTi has partnered with close to 150 leading organisations to hire interns and graduates. Corporates such as Media24, BCX, Absa have been strong supporters of interns and grads from the Accelerator, as well as a growing list of SAAS businesses, digital agencies. 

“(Absa) has had tremendous success with the talented young people from CapaCiTi’s programmes. Since 2016, we’ve taken on 55 talented interns, and 16 going on to full-time employment with Absa, which we are looking to scale up significantly with CapaCiTi over the next few years. Their aptitude, attitude and aspiration has blown us away! They are hard-working, passionate about technology and creative, with the maturity to negotiate the trickiness of working in teams, as well as rise to the challenge when we put them in leadership positions,” states Alwyn van Wyk, Head of Cape Town Dev Shop, Absa.

The Interns:

CapaCiTi has a large group of youth completing programmes in December, ready to join business teams in January. These young people were all unemployed or under-employed when entering the programmes, and have now completed an intensive programme in a technical discipline relevant to skills in-demand in the tech sector. Importantly, they received coaching and skills training to prepare them for the 2019 workplace – critical and creative thinking, collaboration, presentation.

These ambitious young people are now ready to apply and amplify their knowledge during a 6-month internship, to gain the experience they need to land a tech job.

What they’ve learnt:

CapaCiTi’s programmes run from 9 to 12 months and are designed for matrics and graduates looking to start a career in IT.

The interns available to start in January 2019 in Cape Town and Johannesburg have completed an intensive training programme in the following:

Software Engineering – Trained in Java, Python [CPT & JHB]

Full-Stack Development – Trained in Full Stack Mobile Dev, Net, JavaScript, PHP, Android [CPT]

Java Development – Trained in Java, JavaScript [CPT & JHB]

Software Development (postgrad) – Trained Post Graduates with Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, PHP and MY SQL Databases [CPT]

CISCO Security –Trained and certified as a Cisco Network Security Associate [JHB]

ICT Infrastructure – Trained in IT Essentials, Routing and Switching, Linux Fundamentals, CCNA [CPT]

Company Hosts:

As a host, you will help cement the youth of South Africa’s futures in the business world.

Hosts will accommodate the trainees in their respective offices with access to a computer and involve them in work that allows them to grow their technical experience.

Hosts are required to pay a stipend to support their interns with transport and living costs.

Company Benefit:

Interns can support your teams with existing or new projects with data capture, database management, analysis, software testing, software development to administration, help-desk management. What’s important is that they are exposed to technical projects, team-work and ways of working that build their confidence and knowledge.

Join CiTi in supporting young South Africans to positively shape their future:

As a company partner to CiTi, allow these ambitious, motivated interns to contribute to your teams, and projects, where you need it most.

Help support South Africa’s youth to change their future by hiring talented tech interns for your team.To register your company’s interest in interviewing CapaCiTi interns or grads, please visit www.citi.org.za or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and indicate whether you are in Johannesburg or Cape Town, and the focus of your business.

Or contact directly:

Ilze King for Cape Town interns or grads: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or

Estelle Langa for Johannesburg, PE or Durban interns or grads: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cape Town, South Africa (September 2018) - Nic Haralambous - entrepreneur, author, speaker and stylish sock icon - has done it again. The businessman behind startups such as Motribe, ForeFront Africa and the popular fashion brand Nic Harry, has released his debut book, Do.Fail.Learn.Repeat. and it is exactly what you need to read if you are looking for an honest, open look at the life of an entrepreneur.

From the age of 16, Nic has been exercising his entrepreneurial skills. Starting with building web-based products and moving on to creating full-sized companies in the tech world. He has built businesses from the ground up and seen many of them succeed, but he’s also seen a number of them fail.

After graduating from Rhodes University, Nic tried to make his way up the corporate ladder, but soon found that working on his own passions and interests was what he really wanted to be doing. So, that’s what he pursued. Founding multiple startups until he found his current brainchild, Nic Harry.

The funky sock brand has taken South African men’s fashion by storm, and recently added a range of underwear and T-shirts as well. All products are made with soft bamboo fibres, allowing for comfort, style and variety for guys who want variety in their wardrobes.

Now, Nic has written and released a business biography, in which he outlines his business successes and failures, as well as the lessons he learnt along the way. In the book he gives an accurate and truthful account of how he got to where he is today. He opens up about failing, and shares how he got back up after each failed attempt.

The book came out in July 2018 and has hit all major bookstore shelves. It is also available on his website. Online buyers will receive a signed copy, and can add a pair of Nic Harry socks, that match the book’s cover, to their carts as well. Nic is also available to be booked for talks, where he shares his experience and knowledge with like-minded individuals.

https://nicharry.com/

Get in Contact

Facebook:

• https://web.facebook.com/NicHWrites/
• https://web.facebook.com/NicHarryStyle/

Twitter:

• https://twitter.com/nicharry
• https://twitter.com/nicharrystyle

Google plus:

• https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NicholasHaralambous

Instagram:

• https://www.instagram.com/nicharrystyle/

YouTube:

• https://www.youtube.com/user/nicharry

LinkedIn:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicharalambous/

WIN R80 000 IN CASH FOR YOUR BIZ! Running your own business? Want to run your own business? Either way, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is the platform you need to launch you on the path to success!

Now in its ninth year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition that – so far – has helped around 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors. A perfectly polished pitch is key to growing and succeeding in business!

Magic always happens when investors hear a well-rounded pitch, as seen at the 2017 final where the winner was offered R2.5 million in potential funding. This year’s programme is hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum Ltd, Nedbank and Raizcorp, with the Johannesburg workshop taking place on Saturday 13 October.

You can register to attend as a delegate or – if you feel you have what it takes – you can complete an online entry form to be considered as a contestant. During one exhilarating, exciting and fun free day, participants undergo comprehensive and interactive entrepreneurial training on how to pitch like a pro!

The session is facilitated by Justin Cohen, best-selling author, international speaker and TV talk-show host. After the training session, the pre-selected contestants can pitch their ideas or businesses to the whole audience. This is where things get really interesting, with both the facilitator and the audience providing feedback on how pitches can be improved.

Book now to ensure your place in Johannesburg on Saturday 13 October. SMS “Pitch” to 43719 (SMSs charged at 50c) or visit www.pitchandpolish.com to complete an entry form.

The Durban leg of the ninth annual ENGEN Pitch & Polish programme was held on Saturday, 8 September with excellent attendance by enthusiastic entrepreneurs from the area. Since inception, this national entrepreneurial workshop and competition – hosted in partnership with Engen Petroleum Ltd, Nedbank, Raizcorp and Caxton Local Media – has helped over 11 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors.

“Engen Petroleum believes there is great value in raising the concept of polishing ideas and partners with businesses, such as Raizcorp, to create entrepreneurs that will generate jobs and subsequently curb unemployment to alleviate poverty,” states Unathi Njokweni-Magida, the Head of Transformation & Stakeholder Engagement at Engen Petroleum Ltd. “Entrepreneurs are the future for change.

The essence of ENGEN Pitch & Polish is to bring beautiful ideas and business to life by teaching what and how to communicate succinctly, effectively and with confidence,” she continues. The day’s winning formula saw Justin Cohen (best-selling author and international speaker) motivating the crowd about the value of delivering a polished pitch. The workshop aims to teach participants how to develop a well-rounded and investor-ready pitch.

The interactive nature of the event ensures that everyone participates while learning at the same time. At each event, five contestants pitch their businesses while the facilitator and attendees offer guidance, advice and direction to help shape the pitches. Justin teaches that, at times, optimism and enthusiasm can be more important than academics and says, “Confusion is the death of a pitch; keep it simple.”

For example, through the example of Shiroma Bennimahadeo, who came in third place, and her biomedical engineering consultancy idea, the delegates saw the impact of a strong opening and how to weave in how investors will benefit, through the use of branding as well as financial information. Her quiet confidence was effective, and she delivered an excellent three-minute pitch to the “investors” in a centred and authentic manner. The feedback that Ayanda Magubane received for his mobile cleaning services was to keep his offering simple by focusing on the core business, then bringing in expansion plans only if there is time. A business model that is easy to grasp will lead to a quicker understanding. Knowing his target market and vision is a great strength.

Phumzile Manana, who came in second place with her existing food-manufacturing business, was clear on what she wanted the money for and her business acumen came through well. Her feedback included the importance of securing many clients instead of pinning one’s hopes on one large contract. Placing more focus on the product instead of on the business model was a key learning of the pitch delivered by Jacqueline Mccarroll, whose company distributes water and energy saving products.

Participants learned to weave in credible successes early in the pitch as this builds trust. They also learned that rehearsing one’s pitch is highly beneficial and that comparing their products or services with something already in the market that is relatable helps to paint a picture more quickly. From here, you can move on to the financial side more smoothly. The winning pitch was delivered by the wild card entry of the day (someone who is chosen by the audience).

Mongezi Dlamini has a hydroponic farming business and worked hard to polish his pitch throughout the day. The audience saw how impactful a powerful opening can be, with Mongezi delivering a concise introduction followed by outlining the problem and then presenting his solution. His compelling proposition was refined and showed how imperative it is to be specific about numbers. Insider tip: 50% of your pitch is not what you say, it is rather how you say it. Imbue confidence and clarity into your pitch combined with depth of knowledge.

As the 2018 winner of the Durban leg of ENGEN Pitch & Polish, Mongezi Dlamini won R6 000 and a week of training at Raizcorp in Johannesburg worth R150 000. He also has the opportunity to progress to the semi-final and become the ultimate 2018 ENGEN Pitch & Polish winner and receive further cash injections and other prizes. Congratulations to everyone for attending, for taking action and for being the light that shines on the local entrepreneurial environment.

For more information, visit www.pitchandpolish.com.

In this picture (from left to right): Mongezi Dlamini, hydroponic farming Shiroma Bennimahadeo, biomedical engineering consultancy Phumzile Manana, food manufacturingJacqueline Mccarroll, water and energy saving products Ayanda Magubane, mobile cleaning services

DOES YOUR PITCH REFLECT YOUR VALUES?  Now in its ninth year, ENGEN Pitch & Polish, in partnership with Engen Petroleum Ltd, Nedbank and Raizcorp, is a national entrepreneurial workshop and competition programme that – so far – has helped over 10 000 entrepreneurs improve the way they pitch their businesses to potential investors.

“The ENGEN Pitch & Polish initiative invites entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs to participate in a full day workshop and competition, to build their businesses on firm foundations and values” urges Unathi Njokweni-Magida, the Head of Transformation & Stakeholder Engagement at Engen Petroleum Ltd. “At Engen Petroleum, we continue to be a firm partner as this gives budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch and present their business or idea, to an audience, where the feedback loop creates an empowering learning environment. Engen believes growing and nurturing business skills for emerging entrepreneurs in South Africa will boost employment, improve education levels and help alleviate poverty.

To accomplish this, we are proud to step up and support these future stars, to help propel them forward and become flourishing future employers,” explains Unathi.   As the 2018 workshops begin, below is some advice on the importance of values when crafting the perfect pitch.

It is highly unlikely that someone will invest in your business if your values do not align with theirs. As a real example, a billionaire once turned down the opportunity to invest in a rave business just as the rave scene was about to explode. Despite the lure of vast profits, the billionaire knew that raves attracted drug dealers and that large amounts of drugs were being peddled. This was completely contrary to his system of values and he declined to invest. The need for aligned values also holds true from the perspective of the investee. If, after pitching to an investor, you discover that she has shares in a textile factory in the East that makes use of child labour, would you still take her money?   So, how should you go about ensuring that your pitch reflects your values?

Here are three helpful guidelines to assist you:

1. Awareness Have you ever sat down and really thought about the values which guide your choices in life? Have you ever considered whether they are good or bad values? A good value is something that you can control internally, for example, always taking responsibility for what happens in your life and your business, or always being honest (even if playing fast and loose with the truth would sometimes be easier). A bad value, on the other hand, is something that is controlled by external factors and not by yourself. An example would be wealth for the sake of wealth, or loyalty to the point of blindness. Think carefully about your values and make sure you have settled on ones that you can control, such as a commitment to always learning, humility and self-respect.

2. Clarity Having settled on your values, you must examine them from every angle. After any pitch, a potential investor will ask questions about numerous aspects of your business or business model. Any answers you give must be congruent with the values encompassed in the pitch you have just made. For example, if your pitch has touched on your willingness to learn and the fact that you never assume you know everything, it will not impress your potential investor if you come across as arrogant or a know-it-all when answering any follow-up questions.

3. Alignment It is also essential that your chosen values align with those of your would-be investor. If you are prepared to sacrifice your values for the sake of getting funding, it reflects poorly on you as a person and on your business.

For example, if you value honesty and the potential investor offers you R100 000 more than what you’re asking for to hire her nephew as your marketing director, the offer will clearly be in conflict with your values. Also remember that any deal you finally strike with your investor should be congruent with your values.

Tracy Afonso, Nedbank Head of Strategy: Professional Banking and Small Business, says as money experts, Nedbank is committed to doing good and is proud to be part of this inspiring initiative with Engen and Raizcorp as a co-sponsor since 2016. “Unlocking the potential of the SME sector is key to economic growth and job creation in South Africa.  We believe that this sponsorship aligns with our brand purpose to use our financial expertise to enable individuals, families, businesses and society to do good. As a business, we vote for and support small business in South Africa, and help them achieve their goals,” concludes Afonso.

While it may sometimes seem difficult to uphold your values in the face of a tempting deal, in the long term it will serve you well. As an individual and as a business, you will grow a reputation for being steadfast and true… and that is worth a great deal more than a quick buck!

For more information on ENGEN Pitch & Polish and the 2018 programme, please visit www.pitchandpolish.com

Johannesburg, Gauteng – 9 July 2018 - American Founder of Pursue Your Purpose LLC and Forbes Coach, Tamiko Cuellar, will be launching a 4-city "Own Your Brilliance! Tour throughout South Africa and Namibia for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs from 11-20 August 2018 in honor of National Women's Month. The first-of-its-kind tour will be a series of Master Class workshops taught by Cuellar and are based on her 3rd book release, "Own Your Brilliance! - A Woman's Guide to Hiring Herself." Aspiring and emerging women are strongly encouraged to attend this event.

The tour will commence in Johannesburg on August 11th, then to Windhoek, Namibia on August 14th, to East London on August 18th, and end in Cape Town on August 20th. "South Africa and Namibia have some of the most talented and capable professional women who are seeking to be empowered to start or run their own businesses successfully. As an International Business Strategist, I am coming to help them get to their next level," says Cuellar. Attendees will leave inspired and equipped to own their brilliance and with ways they can prosper by using their gifts, talents, skills, and abilities on their own terms as entrepreneurs.

Notable sponsors including the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) have joined forces with this powerful event. East London-based firm Epitomely PRM, has also partnered with the event to market it in Eastern Cape and has brought on Cape Town based NGO Womandla as the official Corporate Social Initiative client so that a portion of the ticket proceeds can benefit the Womandla Foundation for women in Africa. Mamoyo Media House in Johannesburg is an official media partner of the event.

Details of the Master Class and registration can be found on the registration page.   A special opportunity for discounted coaching with Cuellar will be made available to a select number of women who register early. Spaces are limited.  During the Master Class, Cuellar will share her personal journey that inspired her to write the "Own Your Brilliance!" book and teach practical lessons and strategies from the book to equip women to run successful businesses.  A free copy of the e-book will be provided to every woman who registers for the event. Tamiko Cuellar is the CEO and Founder of Pursue Your Purpose LLC, a global coaching firm based in the U.S. for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs internationally. She is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a regular contributor to Forbes.com and a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship. A proven leader in the global marketplace,

Tamiko has been invited to speak at corporations, conferences, churches, on several radio and TV programs, and more. Cuellar coaches high performing, purpose driven women globally with strategies to transition into entrepreneurship and to grow their businesses. For more information on Cuellar and her company, visit the company website.