The Origin of StreetBiz Foundation
In 2018, Nico De Klerk, a social entrepreneur, speaker, and academic, embarked on an extraordinary journey. He walked 2,750km (1,700 miles) from Pretoria to Cape Town, in South Africa, aiming to engage with and support current and aspiring grassroots social entrepreneurs in their efforts to combat inequality in South Africa. Nico’s walk has since become known as Long Walk for the Entrepreneurial Mindset and the project was published in a book NO FIT No Fit. My 1,700 mile walk from Apartheid.
Over the course of more than four months, Nico encountered over 25,000 individuals across more than 100 townships in South Africa. He spoke with high-school students and community leaders, including those from marginalized communities, listening to their narratives and conducting spontaneous workshops to inspire and educate them about the principles of social entrepreneurship.?
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At its core, StreetBiz Foundation is focused on identifying and developing potential social entrepreneurs and providing them with ACCESS to alternative ways of EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, and EXPOSURE. The Long Walk also inspired the Be a Nelson Movement, aimed at identifying and empowering emerging grassroots changemakers throughout South Africa.
StreetBiz Foundation aims to inspire and foster a change in mindset leading to creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial thinking, in turn inspiring and motivating others in the community to do the same.
Why StreetBiz? Why now?
The social context or environment for developing the entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa can be compared with fruit ready for harvest. The launch of this social entrepreneurship initiative happened against the background of South Africa as a country in the process of another transition: from a feeling of powerlessness and frustration; to that of excitement, anticipation, and a renewed feeling of unity as the “rainbow nation”.
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
- Despite its high human potential, South Africa has been rated as the lowest performer in terms of entrepreneurial spirit in Africa (WEF)
- The unemployment rate among youth in South Africa is a human disaster Paul Romer, former chief economist at the World Bank
Meet the StreetBiz Foundation Management Team
Social Innovation In South African Townships: