Our goals
TESTIMONIALS
Lucia Hlatshwayo
Mentee
"I was empowered to grow my hairdressing business and balance academics with mentorship from Izimanga ze Africa."
George Masiya
Mentor
“Being a mentor at
Izimanga ze Africa means
being part of something
transformative, where we
change lives and shape
the future of South Africa’s
youth”
Simo Dladla
Mentee
"Joining Izimanga ze
Africa has helped me
shaping my approach
and refine my ideas to
develop an entertainment
center in my community"
Leslie Matlou
Mentor
"I am honored to mentor and support the next generation of entrepreneurs, fostering a culture of innovation and social responsibility."
Go beyond short-termism
01
Young entrepreneurs are put in touch with a mentor with whom they will build a long-term and informal relationship to get professional and academic advice.
Include semi-urban and rural townships
02
Such communities tend to be forgotten by most social impact initiatives, which tend to focus on larger urban townships. Reaching out to communities located in both urban and rural areas will enable us to build a diverse group of mentees.
Onboard the community
03
Stakeholder engagement is key to our approach and is extremely valuable to maximise impact. In organizing our activities, we will reach out to community leaders, social workers, local entrepreneurs and corporates.
Build a sustainable african non-profit
04
Our goal is to make Izimanga ze Africa a non-profit from townships for townships by building a virtuous circle where mentees become mentors later in their career and by increasingly relying on financial resources from South Africa in the medium-term.
HOW TO SUPPORT US?
Donate money
Help funding initiatives of selected entrepreneurs, the organisation of the next forum, yearly summits and the launch of the first adventure and leadership camp.
Donate supplies
Contribute to the smooth functioning of camps by donating or facilitating our access to quality camping equipment, hiking equipment, sports equipment and food
Mentor
Mentor one or more screened & selected candidate(s) and help them in the launch of their initiative. Build a long-term relationships by organizing frequent calls and at least one meeting in person per year.
Volunteer
Apply and join us as a volunteer from any location around the world. We are looking for motivated people older than 25, fluent in English, with a passion for youth development and, ideally, experience in developing countries
OUR IMPACT
Invest
Inspire and invest in young South African entrepreneurs driven by societal impact
Grow
Develop committed leaders empowering their families and communities through our mentorship programme
Impact
Add our building block to improve social mobility challenges in South Africa
Connect. Create. Rise.
What is Izimanga ze Africa?
Izimanga ze Africa (Wonders of Africa) is a South African non-profit company providing teens from underprivileged backgrounds, close to graduating from high school, and residing in South Africa the opportunity to join a transformative outdoor camping adventure.
But it doesn’t stop there…
To maximise our long-term impact, all campers are put in touch with a mentor serving as a sponsor but also as a coach with whom they will build a long-term relationship to get academic and professional advice.
Through its activities, Izimanga ze Africa aims to achieve a positive and long-term societal impact by fostering campers’ personal development, enabling them to unlock their full potential.
OUR TEAM
Jean-Nicolas LAURENT JOSI
Cofounder
Mmuso MATABANE
Cofounder
Eddie HLABANGWANE
Cofounder
WHY IZIMANGA ZE AFRICA?
Creating Opportunities: Many entrepreneurs from townships in South Africa face significant economic challenges that limit their access to opportunities. By providing mentorship and support to these young entrepreneurs, Izimanga ze Africa is helping to create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and economic growth in these communities.
Developing Skills: The 2-year mentorship program provides students with a unique opportunity to develop important business, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. These skills are essential for success in any career and are particularly important for entrepreneurship and economic development.
Building Confidence: Entrepreneurs from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa often face significant challenges and barriers that can erode their confidence and self-belief. Mentoring provides a safe and supportive environment where students can develop their confidence and belief in their abilities, helping them to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
Achieving Societal Impact: By empowering students to develop and launch their projects, Izimanga ze Africa aims to add its building blocks to the long-term development and economic growth of townships in South Africa. Our mission is to achieve a positive and long-term societal impact by fostering students’ personal development, enabling them to make a difference in their communities and beyond.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Izimanga ze Africa aligns with global sustainability goals, particularly focusing on Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities, and Sustainable Cities and Communities. Its mission is to make education more available, strive for fairness, and develop communities in sustainable ways, primarily aiding South Africa's youth. By embedding these goals into its core activities, Izimanga ze Africa commits to a future where opportunities and development are more evenly distributed, ensuring a balanced and thriving environment for all.
Reduced Inequalities
Izimanga ze Africa focuses on empowering young entrepreneurs from varied backgrounds, working to bridge societal gaps and reduce inequalities, aligning with the goal of SDG 10.
Sustainable Communities
Through close ties with local communities, Izimanga ze Africa fosters sustainable and community engagement and development, reflecting the aims of SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Quality Education
Izimanga ze Africa is dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities in South Africa, providing mentorship to nurture learning and growth, aligning with the goal of Quality Education.
1. Pitch
We pitch our initiative to school principals of high schools located in urban, semi-urban and rural townships (underprivileged areas). We will focus on areas around Johannesburg for the first years
2. Select
Based on our list of criteria, school principals align internally and share the names of students meeting the criteria. As from 2024, selection will take place based on motivation letters
3. Validate
We receive the names and profiles of selected students, validate the choice internally and schedule a physical meeting with the selected teens
4. Meet
We meet the selected candidates at their schools with their parents, present the practicalities of the camping adventure and mentoring program
5. Introduce
Selected candidates are put in touch with a mentor who will act as a sponsor, by taking the responsibility of paying a symbolic amount of the camping fee, and as a coach, once the camp is over
6. Prepare
Prior to the camp we share all forms and a camping equipment checklist and ensure all gaps are covered.
How does Izimanga ze Africa work?
What will our camping itinerary look like?
We have built an incredible itinerary with professionals to have have a diversity of experiences and exciting adventures. We will be travelling across 5 provinces, covering a total of 1000 kilometres, and will be visiting 2 Nature reserves.
A 10-day trip including...
-
4 different accommodation sites
-
Various types of activities such as rafting, safaris and hiking
-
Volunteering activities
-
Visits of towns
-
Visit of Cradle of Humankind
HOW WE WORK
Welcoming
We welcome young entrepreneurs developing or wishing to develop a project or business targeting their community or the broader society and select them based on a written or video application and a pitch
Mentoring
Selected entrepreneurs are then on-boarded in the mentorship program. Each mentee will be paired with a motivated and professionally experiences mentor, carefully selected by Izimanga ze Africa
Connecting & Camping
Izimanga ze Africa intends to grow its mentorship program in the next 2 years by incorporating an annual summit and an adventure & leadership camp throughout South Africa
OUR STORY
Izimanga ze Africa (Wonders of Africa) is a South African non-profit company, founded by 2 South Africans and 1 Belgian, supporting young African entrepreneurs from economically challenging backgrounds in the development and launch of their projects through a holistic mentorship program.
Izimanga ze Africa's mentorship program provides young entrepreneurs with personalized guidance and support from a network of experienced professionals. This guidance and support helps young entrepreneurs not only refine their ideas and strategies, but also grow personally and develop a stronger network.
Looking forward, Izimanga ze Africa aims to grow in the next years organically by organizing a yearly summit and leadership camp, providing young entrepreneurs with a unique opportunity to connect with others, learn from experienced entrepreneurs and leaders, and expand their horizons. These experiences are designed to help them develop important leadership and teamwork skills, and gain valuable insights and perspectives that can help them achieve success in their entrepreneurial endeavours.
