Nico Zeelie, senior officer of entrepreneurship, explained that the college’s Entrepreneurship Advancement Centre (EAC) is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial success through various interventions, programmes, mentorships and referrals. It is also worth noting that the college wishes to bestow an entrepreneurial culture amongst students and staff over the next couple of years.
Zeelie further highlighted the importance of collaborations with key stakeholders such as Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) for entrepreneurial support. Common challenges facing aspiring entrepreneurs include a lack of role models, fear of failure, and misconceptions about needing a lot of money to start a business. He went on to inform that his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to stay motivated and focused on problem-solving.
The second part of the show introduced an alumnus of Northlink College, Prisca Kloot, a former student in clothing production. Coupe & Couture was established in 2017 by Kloot and her husband, specialising in quality, handcrafted bespoke items using full-grain leather and African prints (shweshwe).
With limited resources, the business was able to adapt its business model according to the demand and customer feedback. A key driver of the success was also collaborations with influencers and celebrities to promote bespoke leather products.
Another contributing factor to the business's success was using only quality materials for their products, and learning from past mistakes to improve and enjoy the entrepreneurial journey.
Interesting parties can visit Coupe & Couture’s online shop at www.coupecouture.co.za/ to learn more or visit Northlink’s website at www.northlink.co.za.
