E-HUBS Vision

The vision for an E-Hub was conceptualized by many people for the past 10 years in Pretoria, but three different parties miraculously came together to develop it into a reality, namely The People Upliftment Programme (POPUP), Addicted to Business and The River of Life Company:

The River of Life Company - Andre ten Krooden with other volunteers who fed the down-and-out people in the inner City of Pretoria developed concepts in 2000. They envisaged a factory shop environment where people could interact between the factory worker, the shop keeper and the buying public as an upliftment project where the down-and-out people could gain skills and have development.

Conceptualized the Chaneng Entrepreneurial Village close to Sun City in the North West Province.

a Rural Entrepreneurial Hub is coming to life!

Since 2001, A2B, the entrepreneurial development service provider for Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM) outside Rustenburg, offered entrepreneurial development programmes to the communities surrounding the mines. Budding entrepreneurs had no access to business structures and resorted to informal street corner/back yard businesses.

Rural Entrepreneurial Hub
Click to enlarge image

At the time, the Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire, the company that operates the N1N4 Toll Highway was looking for a project to invest in that would provide support to small businesses along the Bakwena Corridor. Jointly an entrepreneurial business centre was conceptualized. Four yrs of ongoing efforts of Limitless Opportunities as project manager and A2B, land was obtained and Tjeka Training Matters, an accredited training provider, was appointed to train 70 community members in construction skills and then employ trainees to construct the Chaneng Business Centre. The Business Centre is now in the final phases of construction and 15 micro-entrepreneurs will commence trading before the Christmas season. This project is a clear demonstration of the necessity of persevering, and partnering between organizations.

Addicted to Business( A2B) is an enterprise development training-and-business implementation company formed by Vivienne Schultz. It has been in operation since 2000 in thee provinces namely North West Province, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Addicted to Business evolved from a thirteen-year history of benchmark entrepreneurship development and empowerment of people with risks in South Africa. Incisive restructuring resulted in an alignment with the corporate sector, international mine houses and International government agencies.
Addicted to Business is positioned and experienced to package courses and offer services in any province. The focus is expanded to be inclusive of people with or without disabilities who are susceptible to change, has positive energy and with a future mind.

Track record:

Sixteen (16) years of grassroots experience in entrepreneurship training and business development.
More than 1000 entrepreneurs from disadvantaged society empowered, trained and assisted to set up own business. Approximately 68% are people with a disability.
Business exit strategies established: Several micro/small business models developed and projects implemented & managed e.g. Retail/agent model, Manufacturing ventures e.g. wedding dress & garment making: overalls, carpentry: toys, coffins, seat covers for BMW, Craft tourism centre
Addicted to business acted as a country expert for the Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM)..
Eight years experience in training of trainers, counselors and mentors.
2 Research bundles published, Papers presented at National and International Conferences.
Training of Trainers (TOT) course & manual developed.
Preceding Accredited as Local Service Business Centre of Ntsika (Department of Trade and Industry), Council Member of CEFE (Competency based Economies for the Formation of Entrepreneurs), funded by German Government, licensed NFTE teacher training certificate( National Foundation for Teaching entrepreneurship) Boston, USA
Accredited as training provider by the Services Seta
Established entrepreneurial centers and product making workshops in Gauteng Jhb & Pta North and East (1995-2000),North West Province( Royal Bafokeng Platinum mine), 2001-2006.
Developed tourism Cultural Village & craft production & outlets in Mpumalanga & North West Province

The People Upliftment Programme (POPUP) was established at the end of 1998 in Salvokop, Pretoria, through the initiative of Doxa Deo. Initially POPUP served as a shelter for homeless people, with on-site income generation projects, and accompanied social- and medical support services. In 2004 POPUP shifted its focus to meet the need for market-related, cost-effective training, while still maintaining its social- and medical support services. They came up with an entrepreneurial village idea to establish 15 garages on Transnet owned land adjacent to the POPUP centre in the Salvokop Township. They raised funding for the project and appointed Vivienne Schultz as consultant to investigate the feasibility of the idea.

It was established that Transnet would not give consent to use the land adjacent to POPUP, nor was the land viable as an entrepreneurial location.

Entrepreneurship and welfare activities are general opposing each other in most aspects, and the welfare workers and theologists from POPUP did not see themselves fit in embarking in the entrepreneurial arena. POPUP BOD terminated their idea and decided to specialise in what they were best in.

An independent entrepreneurial section 21 company was then formed called E-Hubs Africa, under stewardship of Chemcity (Sasol) comprising of some initial committee members, a new business and legal experts were added on towards creating a dynamic board mix capable to drive the vision.

A bit more on:

Vivienne Schultz has been elected as an international Ashoka fellow. Viv has for the past 16 yrs created radical shifts in the South African society developing and using the unique A2B model of entrepreneurial and human transformation. Due to her programme, more than a 1000 people are living better lives.

Jemina Moatoe is an entrepreneur (a beneficiary of the Organisation) and now on the board of E Hubs Africa. She is a success story second to none. She was born without limbs and is using a wheelchair. Read more about her.