Beauties and the beasts face off in Regent Business School's 'shark tank' SMME competition

Simran Mathura, Mercy Rutendo Membe, Danielle Wakelin, Neo Patience Maboe and Naomi Natalie Thubisi were the ultimate survivors of the contest, and each won R10,000 they can use to start their own small business.

Hoosen Essof, operations manager: Gauteng at Regent Business School, said a “shark tank” format was chosen for the competition due to its familiarity, though the Regent one was not quite as harsh as the TV version. “We weren't as tough or critical as the TV show, but we thought the format lent itself to the occasion. We asked the judges not to be too tough or critical and to help raise the contestants’ confidence. In the end, it was an all-round good learning experience for all of us.”

Regent Business School, through the redHUB unit, ran the pilot programme for nine final-year students from the Face-to-Face Beauty and Makeup Academy. The aim of the practical “Starting Your Own Business” course was to give the students a thorough understanding of what is required to start and manage their own businesses. The CSI initiative invests in entrepreneurs to drive job creation, while providing skills to develop graduates to become employers rather than employees. “It was quite clear from the presentations and interactions with the ladies that some of them had the makings of being an employer rather than employee. Some were clearly ‘I will do whatever it takes to make it a success’ people, while others were ‘we and us’ people. Although one contestant was clearly more inclined towards training and empowering others in the beauty sector, all of them expressed a desire to own and manage their own businesses,” said Essof.

The grittiness of the course was evident when the contestants pitched their ideas to the panel. “Some of the ladies were very nervous, yet they managed to do enough to talk their way through the pitch and the Q&A session. A few were very confident and wowed the judges and audience. However, they all benefited from getting the experience of what a ‘real’ pitch is like, and this will pay off when the time comes,” said Essof.

The event may have been redHUB's first, but it was not just the entrepreneurs who benefited from it, as Essof said, “there was also a little learning for us”.

You can find information about the innovative, relevant graduate and post graduate courses now available at www.regent.ac.za. Design your future with Regent Business School, a proud member of Honoris United Universities.

Sent on behalf of Regent Business School by ICommunicate. For further information please contact az.oc.etacinummoci@ofni or visit www.regent.ac.za.

About Regent Business School

Since 1998, Regent Business School (RBS) has been at the forefront of premium management education across the continent. Headquartered in South Africa, RBS’s acclaimed business, finance and management programmes have helped individuals and organisations build and sustain competitive advantages in a rapidly-changing, complex business environment. With campuses in all major hubs of South Africa, including Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria, as well as in SADC countries, Swaziland and Namibia, the institution’s alumni base of 10,000 is rapidly expanding. RBS’s leading centres for excellence - The Institute of Entrepreneurship, The Centre for Islamic Finance and Banking, and The Centre for Public Sector Administration Management and Innovation – are popular with high performers who are serious about making positive, impactful change within the global finance and management sectors. It’s latest 4IR innovation hub and academic makerspace, the iLeadLAB, is at the forefront of the institution’s strategy to empower students and stakeholders with in-demand skills as well as the hard and soft digital skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Regent Business School. Disrupt. Rethink. Innovate.

www.regent.ac.za

About Honoris United Universities

Honoris United Universities is the first pan-African private higher education network committed to preparing and educating the next generation of African leaders and professionals able to impact regionally in a globalized world. Collaborative intelligence, cultural agility and mobile mindsets and skills are at the heart of Honoris’ vision of higher education.

Honoris United Universities joins the expertise of its member institutions to create pan-regional profile graduates that are competitive in today’s fast-paced and demanding labour markets.

Honoris United Universities gathers a community of 27,000 students on 48 campuses, learning centers and on-line, in nine countries and 30 cities across Africa. More than 100 degrees are offered in the fields of Health Science, Engineering, IT, Business, Law, Architecture, Arts and Design, Media, Education and Political Science.

Honoris United Universities. Education For Impact™.

www.honoris.net