Three Grade 11 learners from Thabane High School in Galeshewe made history when they secured second place in the Step Up to a Start Up entrepreneurship competition that took place in Johannesburg recently.
THREE Grade 11 learners from Thabane High School in Galeshewe made history when they secured second place in the Step Up to a Start Up entrepreneurship competition that took place in Johannesburg recently.
Out of the 16,000 learners who competed in the national competition, the trio of Boingotlo Frans, Boitumelo Sekgopi, and Lesego Majake not only secured the award for their school but also achieved a milestone for the Northern Cape, becoming the first group from the province to secure a top three place.
Frans said she had a feeling that their idea, aimed at addressing climate change and alleviating the effects of extreme heat, would stand out in the competition.
“Our idea was to make an umbrella constructed from recycled material, solar panels and fitted with a built-in fan that will keep a person cool. The fan will be powered by solar panels, which use energy from the sun,” said Frans.
She said it did not take long to bring the idea together.
“The idea popped into my head as I noticed people walking around with umbrellas daily to shield themselves from the scorching sun in the province. I saw that the umbrella can be environmentally friendly and an umbrella is also an affordable product. I then recruited my other two team members as they are top students in my class. I saw the pair of them as strong assets for the team. It worked out brilliantly as we were able to put all our skills together,” said Frans.
“I am very inquisitive and my two team members are smart. Although I came up with an overview of the idea, my team members assisted me in growing the idea and bringing the end product together. We each came up with finer details on how to fit the product into the requirements of the competition. Together, we brainstormed which recycled materials could be used to manufacture it,” she added with a smile.
Sekgopi said the process was not without challenges.
“We each had our own ideas and strengths, which led to quite a few disagreements. We however managed to see that our creativity is more powerful when we work together. Although we each had a strong view on how the product should be constructed, we realised that our ideas had much more impact when put together. We managed to resolve our differences and work in camaraderie and the end result was amazing,” said Sekgopi.
Sekgopi said she never dreamed they would achieve such a high position, placing among the top three winners.
“They were calling out the winners and we thought that our name was not on the list. We saw that the list was getting shorter. We were shocked to hear them calling us when they announced the top three winners. It was an amazing feeling to represent my school and they also mentioned that we were the first team from the Northern Cape to make it to the top three. That made the prize even more special,” she chuckled.
Majake reflected on her experience, stating that the competition taught her not to let one’s environment or background define their future.
“We were flown to Johannesburg and all our accommodation costs were covered. It was a wonderful experience. We saw so many learners from well-established schools who were part of the competition. I cannot believe that we were able to achieve such a position despite being from a school that is disadvantaged. This competition has given me the confidence to believe in myself,” said Majake.
The teenagers said the competition not only gave them the platform to display their knowledge but also opened their eyes to the endless possibilities in the world.
“We met so many influential people, like former president Thabo Mbeki and the entire Orlando Pirates soccer team. We were so inspired to be in the same room as people we usually only see on television. It was an unforgettable trip, and from now on, we will continue entering such competitions to showcase our academic abilities and compete with other learners. This competition has proven that hard work does pay off,” they said.
The group won bursaries, laptops, tablets, and routers with six months of free Wi-Fi.
They expressed their excitement about pursuing future careers in the medical field and entrepreneurship.
