Blaq Apple Communication, YDiDi and Eplazini Brand Communications collaboratively held a networking workshop at Tso’s Butchery, Kagiso this past weekend that gave young entrepreneurs the chance to meet up all for the sake of networking. Can I call it social networking? Well, The Social Call is a platform for young entrepreneurs that encourages them to exchange ideas, discuss youth issues and develop new business ventures, so I guess I could call it that.
Blaq Apple Communications is an events, marketing and communications company run by a group of young people that aims to capacitate young people through skills training and job creation programmes that focus on creating a change in the lives of the youth via networking and collaborating skills. Blaq Apple Communications specializes in Development Services; specifically motivational speakers, education and training.
The main activity of the day came in the form of motivational speakers sharing their wise words to the youthful crowd.
The proceedings commenced with an energetic and very vibrant MC, Linda Simelane who is also a radio host for Eldos fm. His dream is to be that voice that says “you have reached your destination, now please get out of the car”. He kick-started the entire thing with a few cheesy, yet giggly jokes just to put the tense crowd at ease. An outstanding list of guest speakers was invited to this particular event including the likes Mpho Maphologela of EventsGirlZA, David Mabuso of New Genesis, Sour Nouhou from Fetola and GAP, Nthabiseng Letsoso from the Red Bull Academy who is also a poet. Zipho Sibanyoni of DED – WestRand Youth Chamber was also in attendance and he spoke about the Gauteng Province Youth Chamber of Commerce and Industries (commonly known as GPYCCI) and how it operates as a recognized youth business organization that helps with the success of other young businesses.
I would like to believe that Terence Modiba, a motivational speaker, got everyone feeling very inspired when he was speaking about “The Six Gifts of Life”, the first and last gifts being life and death respectively. To find out what the rest of the gifts are, you will need to search for the #SocialCall (hashtag) on Twitter.
Lunch took up a huge amount of my attention so I barely paid attention to anything else.
Unfortunately I was dismally disappointed by the Mayor of the West Rand Municipality, Mpho Nawa and his lethargically long, tiresome and unprepared speech which doesn’t even deserve to be called that, but that’s just my opinion. Tebogo Modise, Kagiso’s resident “local hustler” who deals with multimedia brought things back as he spoke about his music video ventures. His speech was followed by one from Neo Kuaho who is part of YDiDi (Youth Development through Investigation and Dissemination of Information), an initiative whereby Letshoao Consulting and YFm came together to distribute relevant information to the youth about business. Noko Ramoroka from Agape youth blessed the stage ka se Pitori (with the Pretoria lingo) and Tshepang Mokgatlha (whose profile and achievements are far too long to even fit in this review) ended things off. You will certainly need to Google him.
Inspiration galore!
Many thanks to the Blaq Apple Communications team for hosting such an astounding project because as Nthabiseng Letsoso said “it is very important to share your ideas” and sharing (not just ideas) is exactly what we did. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of these events in the future.
Follow me on twitter @Ric3hard and @BlackAppleCommunication
