Low-cost carrier FlySafair has launched a new initiative for entrepreneurs in South Africa looking to grow their business and take it to the next level. The airline is giving away 10 return Business Class flights each to six entrepreneurs, start-ups and business owners in need of that little something extra.
“We are no stranger to the pandemic-induced economic pressures of the last couple of years and we also know how difficult it is to build a business having built one over the past eight years,” says Elmar Conradie, Chief Executive Officer at FlySafair. “We’re hoping this initiative will give entrepreneurs the boost they need to recover and achieve new levels of success.”
Each prize includes 10 return Business Class flights to help businesses make it to that big meeting in Cape Town, sign that new client in Johannesburg or get to know a key supplier in Gqeberha a little better. In addition, the winners will receive a full-page advert in FlySafair’s InFlight magazine, a company profile feature on the competition website’s Wall of Fame, posts to all of FlySafair’s social media profiles and more.
Interested entrepreneurs and business owners can submit their entries via the FlySafair Business Booster Competition website, flysafair.co.za, until 29 September. Entrants will be asked to submit an elevator pitch of their company that includes details around their primary products or services, successes, challenges, and target market. A panel of judges will then review the entries and select a winner each week for a period of six weeks.
“One of the important benefits of an airline is to bring people closer together and create valuable connections. With our Business Booster campaign, we hope we’ll be able to foster business relationships between the next captains of industry who will grow, create jobs and contribute to building a thriving economy,” says Conradie. “Running a business is no easy feat and sometimes all you need is someone to take a chance on your idea to succeed.”
According to Stats SA and the 2019 Annual Financial Statistics (AFS) survey small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) generated 22% of turnover in the formal business sector in the 2019 financial year. McKinsey reports that these enterprises make up 98 percent of businesses in South Africa and employ between 50 and 60% of the local workforce.
“It’s these green shoots in our economy that we need to nurture for us to truly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
