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Uplifting South African entrepreneurs: #AcerInstaPitch competition winners announced | MyPR.co.za

MyPR: Uplifting South African entrepreneurs: #AcerInstaPitch competition winners announced:

As leaders in advanced electronics technology, Acer understands the role it plays in helping businesses achieve success and thrive in their respective industries. Acer and Chrome Enterprise is an example of this. Specifically engineered to meet the needs of enterprises and various business sectors, the range is built for the cloud and empowers workers with enterprise-ready features for productivity, portability, and power.

The company also knows how much small businesses contribute to the success of our country and how important it is for them to thrive. Then came COVID-19. While we cannot change the events of the past few of months, Acer hopes to change the future for South African entrepreneurs.

As a trusted technology partner for small businesses and startups, Acer wanted to launch a competition to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of South Africans. The #AcerInstaPitch competition not only shed light on the immeasurable talent and ambition South Africa has produced, it also provided a platform for local SMEs to be discovered by customers and future employees.

The mechanics of the competition

Using social media, Acer encouraged entrepreneurs to pitch their business or startup idea through Instagram stories for a chance to win an incredible kickstart. The winners would each get a share of R125 000 worth of Acer equipment, as well as business coaching with Martine Solomon, CEO at Mzansi Financial Education and Media (Pty) LTD. A couple of spot prizes and some amazing entries later, and the panel of judges announced the three grand prize-winning entrepreneurs of the #AcerInstaPitch competition.

Broadcasting live on 27 August 2020, Davy Tsopo, Nomvula Mxubane, and Sifiso Mbatha were crowned the winners and given the opportunity to make their business dreams a reality.

Davy Tsopo, founder of Cakey by Davy, makes delicious, head-turning, customised cakes. With his share of Acer equipment, Davy can now launch his website – an important step in helping him achieve his goal and have Cakey by Davy cakes sold in local restaurants and stores. “Winning this competition fills me with excitement for the future,” said Davy after the announcement was made. “At the moment I run our social media pages and emails from my phone, but now I can manage the business from my new Acer laptop.”

Nomvula Mxubane, founder and team manager of Julie Baby Punch Club, gives nannies and domestic workers a platform to make and sell punch needle crafts to generate extra income. “Owning an online store would be a dream come true. I want more people to see the great work these ladies do, and now, thanks to Acer, more people will,” she said.

Sifiso Mbatha of S/O Gaming Café, offers teen gamers with a passion for competitive e-sports a place to sharpen their gaming skills. “Acer is making it possible for us to reach our future milestones and give kids in the community a space that teaches them the importance of teamwork and hand-eye coordination,” Sifiso said. “Winning means I can continue to pay it forward and help the community through e-sports.”

Belinda Marais, Marketing Manager of Acer Africa, says the judging panel felt inspired when reviewing the entries. “We have always been more than just a tech company. We dream alongside our customers; we push for excellence – just as they do – and we celebrate the milestones together. The #AcerInstaPitch competition was a great opportunity for us to learn more about the talented people in this culturally rich country. We were inspired by every submission and urge all South Africans to support SMEs whenever they can in these trying times.”

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Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? After the Great Trek European pastoralists started settling in the Transvaal. Some of them chose to farm where Johannesburg was to rise later. Each burgher (citizen) was entitled to at least one farm, measuring 1500 morgen or about 3100 acres. The first recorded discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand was made by Jan Gerrit Bantjes in June 1884, on the farm Vogelstruisfontein.

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Sophiatown: The Lost “Paris of the Transvaal”

Sophiatown’s golden age was the 1940s and 50s. It was a dense, vibrant, and often dangerous neighborhood, characterized by “backyard” rooms, shebeens (illegal speakeasies), and a sophisticated social scene. It was the birthplace of Kwaito’s ancestors and the legendary “Marabi” music—a blend of traditional African rhythms and American ragtime. The streets were home to the most iconic figures of African literature and music: Miriam Makeba found her voice here; Hugh Masekela received his first trumpet from a local priest; and the writers of Drum magazine, like Can Themba and Bloke Modisane, used the neighborhood as their muse. They dressed in Fedora hats and double-breasted suits, channeling the style of Hollywood gangsters and Harlem intellectuals, creating a world that was cosmopolitain, intellectual, and radically multi-racial.

However, the “Bohemia” of Sophiatown was an existential threat to the National Party’s vision of total racial separation. The government viewed it as a “black spot” in a white area. In 1955, the state launched Western Areas Removal Scheme. On the morning of February 9th, 2,000 heavily armed police officers moved in, forcing families into trucks at gunpoint. They were relocated to the newly established matchbox houses of the South Western Townships (Soweto), 20 kilometers away. The resistance was led by figures like Trevor Huddleston, the Anglican priest whose church, St. Joseph’s, still stands today. Despite the slogan “Ons dak nie, ons pola hier” (We are not moving, we are staying here), the bulldozers were relentless.