Since 2013, Stellenbosch Business School’s Small Business Academy has been helping SMME owners gain business knowledge and skills that enable them to grow their businesses. 98.1% of SBA alumni report that their businesses grew stronger as a result of what they learned in the SBA.

A critical component of the SBA’s success is mentoring. Each SBA participant is paired with a mentor who journeys with them over the nine-month course, providing strategic and practical guidance and personal encouragement.

Stellenbosch Business School alumna Mathilda van der Vyver shared, “being part of the SBA mentoring programme helps me to stay positive and hopeful about the future of this beautiful country of ours…I love seeing how the lights really go on for them when they learn more about the ins and outs of business. It’s like a new injection when they start understanding and critically thinking about the various facets of their business.” Van der Vyver added, “I also believe they have all rubbed off some of their tenacity on me, which helps me to maintain motivation when the going gets tough with my own business.”

The power of the mentorship relationship inspired SBA alumna Zahida Goulfarris-Ishmail to become a mentor. “The relationships I’ve built have been so rewarding,” she reflected, adding, “the program has afforded me so many opportunities for personal growth, previously as a student and then mentor for the past four years.”

Join us in 2023 by mentoring an SBA entrepreneur in the Western Cape (Stellenbosch and Bellville Park Campus), Eastern Cape (Aliwal North), or Northern Cape (Springbok). To learn more, contact us at [email protected].

Eastern Cape student AkhumzI Mei (photo credit: Esther Franzsen)