southafrica.info - 

Some of South Africa's more popular celebrities were at the launch of Step Up 2 a Start Up, a programme that teaches schoolchildren and students about entrepreneurship, to share their experiences of trying to make it on their own in the business world.

Held at Monte Casino, Johannesburg, on 27 August, radio personalities Gareth Cliff and Bob Mabena, actress Boity Thulo and DJ Sbu told their stories to more than 300 businesspeople and government officials on the night.

Cliff, who has his own radio show, CliffCentral, opened the evening by saying Step Up was the largest entrepreneurship programme in Africa, with about 30 000 pupils involved. Besides educating them about entrepreneurship, it gets them to design, make and sell their own goods. Cliff left 5fm in 2014 to start his own podcast show that can be streamed online. A year on and the platform is steadily growing.

DJ Sbu, who describes himself as a social entrepreneur, innovator and creator, spoke about his journey from underprivileged life in Tembisa to popular DJ and businessman. He implied that one of the main characteristics of an entrepreneur was to be a selfless giver.

He learned this trait from PrimeStars managing director, Martin Sweet. Selflessness, said Sweet, was something participants in the Step Up programme learned. "Step Up 2 a Start Up gets learners to empathise with the people for whom they are designing products."