Who are we?
StreetBiz Foundation wants to use alternative ways to address poverty, unemployment and inequality as these have been identified as the top issues threatening the future and stability of South Africa.
StreetBiz Foundation brings innovative business concepts to the field of Social Entrepreneurship.
It’s all about changing mindsets and supporting entrepreneurs.
StreetBiz is a registered non-profit company. We welcome partnerships and social as well as financial investment by individuals, corporates and the international community.
StreetBiz and the community
We believe that the only constant is change and are looking forward to continued growth and development. We base our strategies on the community as our source of knowledge, perceptions and insights.
Vision and strategy
Our vision is our belief that a changed mindset leads to a changed mind.
And how do we approach this mammoth task? Well, our tagline is “Just make it work”.
Our long-term strategy is to provide an online business school for the unemployed and youth leaving schools.
Mission
The mission of the StreetBiz Foundation is to have a positive impact on the entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa. This impact will be visible and measurable.
A changed mindset will release creative, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking, which will in turn inspire and motive others in the community.
Long-term objectives
Our long-term objectives is to establish an informal online business school aimed specifically at the NEETs (Persons who are not in employment, education or training). This online training will be focused on the NEETs, but will be open to all users.
The power of technology applied in authentic contexts will be enhanced by active engagement with communities throughout South Africa and with roleplayers from both ends of the spectrum.
Short-term objectives
Our short-term objectives are two-fold.
Our first short-term objective is to establish and extend our online footprint on various social media platforms. We’re well on this way with this with a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter, and we’re active on LinkedIn and Twitter as well.
Continued social media growth will provide a greater return on investment for our current and future sponsors, allow for effective communication across the board, and allow volunteers to join us.
Our second short-term objective is the promotion of StreetBiz Foundation across social boundaries and in more than a hundred local communities across South Africa through the Long Walk Project.
We have done so, and we can see how this has strengthened the StreetBiz brand.
More importantly, the Long Walk Project has provided us with the opportunity to speak with, and listen to, the unemployed, entrepreneurs, and local community leaders at grassroots level.
Why are we doing this?
The social context or social environment for the development of the entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa can be compared with fruit ready for harvest.
The launch of this social entrepreneurship initiative happens against the background of South Africa as a country in the process of another transition.
With South Africa’s economy still in “junk status mode”, the general spirit can be described in both positive and negative terms:
- from a feeling of powerlessness and frustration
- to that of excitement, anticipation and a renewed feeling of unity as the “rainbow nation”.
However, unemployment and crime have taken a toll on the morale of the general public.
StreetBiz Foundation wants to reach out to the vulnerable, angry and hungry, with nowhere to go.
Indeed, it could be said that the NEETs are in NEED.
Why is a critical intervention needed?
- The WEF (World Economic Forum) has identified South Africa as the country with the biggest gap between rich and poor in the world.
- Furthermore, South Africa has been rated as the lowest performers in terms of entrepreneurial spirit in Africa although with the highest potential (WEF).
Any kind of intervention should consider that social behavioural change takes time. Generating the necessary energy and participation in large-scale change and empowerment will not happen overnight.
But things are changing!
With the Long Walk Project we connected with South African in their homes and on the streets, and we saw what’s really out there.
The Long Walk Project was supported by local as well as international individuals. We worked with any and all organisations in the field of entrepreneurial development.
The Long Walk Project was aimed at creating an awareness of entrepreneurship in general and bringing about changed mindsets specifically.
It was a huge success and we thank everyone who helped us make this a reality.
Now, let’s tackle 2019 together!
StreetBiz Foundation 