Minister of Small Business Development praises KZN’s budding tech whizz
Durban — Tech-savvy Amahle Mjoli, 19, inspired by entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, and who created a website for his school Hamilton Makhanya Secondary in KwaZulu-Natal, received a surprise visit on Tuesday.
Mjoli, of uMbumbulu, south of Durban, is a Grade 11 pupil and is also an entrepreneur. Mjoli is fascinated by media and technology. He does digital media as well as apps, websites and social media management.
Mjoli said his love and passion for media started back in 2020 and it has never stopped.
He said, “I saw how people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs were making money through social media and I thought why not me? I believe people can be anything they want to be when they put in the work and also believe in themselves.”
Mjoli said he has created a website for the school which is being tested.
“I still have a lot of learning to do, the app should be up and running next year as I still need to fix a few things,” he added.
Mjoli said his future plans include expanding his business. He wants his focus to be mainly on bettering rural areas as he is also from a rural place.
Mjoli received a visit by Minister of Small Business Development Stella Thembisile Ndabeni-Abrahams. The minister participated in the KwaZulu-Natal SMMEs and Co-operatives Roadshow. This initiative was part of a countrywide roadshow themed “Unlocking opportunities for SMMEs and co-operatives for economic growth and job creation”.
Ndabeni-Abrahams’s roadshow included her handing over material and equipment to informal traders who are members of the eThekwini Disability Chamber.
Mjoli was given a laptop so he can continue his work. Ndabeni-Abrahams commended Mjoli for not being lazy and for doing things for himself. She said they are willing to support any proposal as long as it helps the community and the school grow.
“We are committed to any proposal that the school will propose as long as it instils entrepreneurial skills and helps young people grow and learn so that they can help in solving problems that communities face. Mjoli had a dream and he did not sit around and wait for someone to help him, he saw his situation and asked himself how could he help improve it, and he worked tirelessly to help himself.
“I want that for every young person,” Ndabeni-Abrahams said.
Daily News