MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Empowering young South Africans through entrepreneurship

MyPR: Empowering young South Africans through entrepreneurship:

With high unemployment rates, particularly amongst young South Africans and those finishing college and university, creating employment opportunities is integral in moving our country forward and improving economic growth – providing a sustainable future for these young people who are ready to enter the job world.

Young South Africans are at the heart of Varsity Vibe, a user-friendly and discount-based app designed to give students access to great deals from brands and companies that matter to them. Student purses and budgets are often tight, and that’s why Varsity Vibe was created, to service the needs of these students across a broad spectrum of products and services that can aptly assist them from a budget-friendly perspective. Our strategic partners and partner brands are well-aligned with what these youngsters need on a day-to-day basis.

Varsity Vibe is in a unique environment to not only provide students with access to great deals and discounts but to help young South Africans empower themselves through entrepreneurship. This student entrepreneurship initiative encourages students around the country, who are business-minded and are trying to grow their own brand or business, to partner with Varsity Vibe.

We want to help these students take their businesses to the next level, supporting them with guidance, mentorship, and key skills, such as budgeting and marketing, that they need to succeed. These budding businesses often need a supportive hand with some of the intricacies and challenges of owning a start-up company, and we are determined to help them along this journey. Furthermore, we can provide them with the platform, a springboard so to speak, to help them grow their loyal customer base, elevate their marketing efforts, and generate sales, all of which are vital tools for victory. As a Varsity Vibe brand partner, they can directly connect with the student base all over the country.

We currently have five student businesses on board:

  • MadHatter Apparel – a lifestyle clothing brand
  • Super Skoon – a sneaker cleaning service based in JHB
  • The Raw Beauty Co – a clean and natural beauty product range
  • Kirsten Gabrielle – a basic/loungewear brand
  • Mexxies Festivities – a festival based clothing brand

MadHatter Apparel, one of the student businesses we recruited in 2020, has generated over R16 000 in sales from the Varsity Vibe app as of July 2021. “It has been incredible to watch this young student business grow from strength to strength over the last year, with our support.

“This initiative has traction and we’re really happy to see our students take charge of their futures. It is not just about providing students with great discounts and deals; we want to harness the platform we have created, to empower students to become industrious and start their own businesses while they study for their future. This not only provides them with the opportunity to earn an income while at college or university but equips them with the right skill set to take charge of their careers by providing employment for themselves and hopefully others, as their business grows,” says Varsity Vibe CEO, Dino Talotti.

About Varsity Vibe

Varsity Vibe is South Africa’s first dedicated student discount app, available to students at universities and colleges around the country. Offering students deals and discounts that are relevant to them and their needs, this pioneering tech-based company is truly tapped into the youth market.

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The Rand Club: Redemption

The “redemption” of the Rand Club is a fascinating mirror of the city’s broader transformation. In 2016, a group of businessmen and heritage enthusiasts stepped in to save the club from permanent closure. They didn’t just renovate the physical structure; they fundamentally “decolonized” the institution’s culture. Today, the Rand Club is a vibrant, multi-racial hub of Johannesburg’s intellectual and business elite. It has opened its doors to the public for events, tours, and as a co-working space for young entrepreneurs.

One of the most striking changes is in the art. While the walls are still lined with portraits of historical figures, they are now interspersed with contemporary African art and photography that challenges the old narratives. The club has transitioned from a secretive “fortress” of the colonial elite into a shared space for the city’s new generation of leaders. It remains a place where history is physically present—you can still sit in the same leather chairs where Rhodes sat—but the conversations happening in those chairs are now about the future of a democratic, African-led Johannesburg. It is a testament to the fact that even the most rigid institutions in “Joburg” must adapt or vanish.