The annual Allan Gray Entrepreneurship Challenge (AGEC) is now open for entry to learners from schools across Southern Africa.
This year the business competition offers even more action-packed games, prizes and opportunities for high-school learners to pursue their business dreams.
“As the challenge enters its ninth year the mission is to ignite entrepreneurial thinking among youth across Southern Africa,” explained Marcel Manikum, programme lead of the AGEC.
“The challenge is reaching more schools and provinces, even reaching learners in neighbouring countries Namibia, Eswatini and Botswana, so it’s becoming more critical and getting more exciting.”
The competition plays a unique role by focusing on early-stage entrepreneurial exposure, targeting high-school learners and sparking curiosity through fun, “gamified” learning. Top learners get the opportunity to pitch their business ideas live at the AGEC Summit to turn business plans into real ventures. The challenge also runs in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal, alongside continued work in Gauteng and Western Cape.
The competition’s goal is to shift perceptions of entrepreneurship, making it exciting, accessible and relevant from a young age.
“Among the competition’s new features is a brand-new high-school game with a deeper, scenario-based simulation that puts learners in the driver’s seat of real-world business decisions,” Manikum pointed out.
Participants stand a chance to win exciting prizes, including cash and Allan Gray Unit Trusts. The final Business Pitch Challenge will reward the top three entrants, while the Allan Gray High School Game features a generous overall prize pool. Schools can also win a special prize.
“AGEC started as an online game to get students excited about business, and since its inception it has grown into a full-on movement, with national competitions, hands-on tools for teachers, physical card games such as Start-up Shuffle and even face-to-face pitching events,” Manikum added.
Last year saw more than 21 000 learners participating, with the game being played over 200 000 times.
• To enter this year’s competition, visit theentrepreneurshipchallenge.com.
