Tiffany Ogbonnaya, Zanele Khwela and Thulile Zikali won a competition by proposing to turn Marula nuts into fuel; now they are making it happen!
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (01 May 2023) – You may think they’re nuts, but three KwaZulu-Natal schoolgirls are proving it takes true grit to commit to saving the planet. The learners, who won a prestigious green entrepreneurship competition with their eco-coal concept last year, are juggling the challenges of running a business while completing matric – because of a deep-seated desire to save the environment. The trio hopes they will inspire other learners to do the same.
Tiffany Ogbonnaya, Zanele Khwela and Thulile Zikali, who are Grade 12 learners at Sibusisiwe Comp-Tech High School in Umbumbulu, won the top spot in Primestars’ 2022 STEP UP 2A GREENSTART UP competition. Judges loved their concept of using Marula nuts as a fuel source, which the trio have been working to turn into a viable, real-world business.
During the 2022 STEP UP 2A GREEN START UP Bootcamp –which sees 10 groups of finalists from high schools across the country working on their green business ideas – learners were drilled on some of the challenges they would face as business owners. But it seems the three learners are well on their way to adopting the mindset entrepreneurship requires.
“Since we are in matric, and have a workload of schoolwork, we must admit progress has been very slow since we did not particularly have time. Being in matric is very demanding, especially in our school because we attend classes Monday to Sunday. But having little time is no excuse. Being an entrepreneur is demanding and sacrifices have to be made to ensure our success,” says Tiffany Ogbonnaya.
“We are committed to being entrepreneurs and are prepared to give up the little time and energy we have and put it into the business.”
One of the prizes was a start-up capital of R20 000, which they received in February. This has enabled them to start production and think about marketing the business. In line with the fact that the Step Up competition intends for businesses to solve environmental issues, one of the girls’ first steps was to find earth-friendly, easily recyclable packaging.
And as with any business, there are unexpected hiccups along the way.
“Processing the nuts had been a very slow process as there are so many of them,” says Ogbonnaya. “We also had to do it perfectly at a given time, even making sure that we do not produce a lot of carbon emissions in the process of processing the nuts.”
STEP UP 2A GREEN START UP is a programme that is transforming the landscape for young people in South Africa by cultivating a culture and mindset of entrepreneurship, empowering them to identify and seize opportunities in the green economy, and equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to create innovative solutions for environmental challenges in their communities. This programme is specifically designed to foster a new generation of entrepreneurs who are passionate about sustainability and committed to building a better future for all.
The 2023 programme will start in August with a new cohort of participating schools.
“At Primestars we are focused on providing youth-development programmes that make a real difference in young lives, be it in the form of Maths and Science revision lessons, initiatives that address the scourge of gender-based violence – or in this case the provision of skills that can provide learners with the tools to create their own businesses that can both provide an income and help the environment,” says Primestars MD MartinSweet.
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