South Africa - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

I designed and implemented an automated cloud-based job application solution that I use to provide free job application services to reduce graduate youth unemployment in the country. The solution use tools such as Microsoft Office 365, HubSpot, Power BI

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

The system can make over 1000 Job applications per day. Between February-April 2024, I made over 4900 job applications for our unemployed youth which resulted with 9 Interviews and 7 job offers. I provide support for over 372 unemployed graduates on my database from universities, TVET’s and private colleges around South Africa. I help them apply for jobs and give them tools and support they need to build careers. Many of our graduates are based in rural areas across the Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Northwest, Mpumalanga, e.t.c and they don’t have easy access to job application resources or equipment. Some don’t have access to a stable internet connection so they can’t complete applications, and some lack the requisite knowledge to submit the right application information. These students also don’t have access to a smartphone or a computer nor can they afford the high cost of data required to find and complete applications, and this makes it very difficult for them to apply for jobs.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

I am trying to solve the problem of graduate youth unemployment in the country. There are millions of funds spend by NSFAS and other private and public study aid providing support to students, but some of these funding support end up going to waste because most of these graduates do not get employment. Most of the families also make sacrifices of using their last money to pay study fees for their kids at universities and colleges for them to get better jobs and change the bad hunger situations in the families. Most of these graduates end up not getting employment and this cause strain in the families and these graduates end up being depressed and turn to drugs and crime. The youth unemployment is increasing each year in the country, and this is becoming a burden which will soon be difficult to control if not alleviated as soon as possible.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

1. Our services help reduce the time spend by graduates on internet and travelling to town looking for employment because we made it our responsibility to search for jobs and make applications on behalf of the graduates. 2. We help reduce the cost spend by graduate on data and paying internet café services to revamp CVs and doing job applications. 3. We encourage and give the graduate youth hope of getting employment as we copy their email address on every job application we do for them. This assist in reducing depression and crime in the country because the more graduate youth get employment, the lesser the crime and temptation to turn to drugs and other negative social activities on our youth.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our services are targeted at all graduates in the country, in all universities and colleges. Our system allows CV submission by all the graduates from all the province and study institutions as we shared our CV submission form link on all our social media platforms to make it easily accessible. We currently provide support for over 372 unemployed graduates that are available on our database from universities, TVET’s and private colleges around South Africa. We help them apply for jobs and give them the tools and support they need to build careers and successful lives. Many of our graduates are based in rural areas across the Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Northwest, Mpumalanga, and the Free State, etc. We have 263 female and 109 male graduates on our database that we apply jobs daily on their behalf.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-12-13

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Female: Our finance director: She has completed her SAIPA articles and currently qualified professional Accountant (SA). Male: Matric with customer service and 5 years call center experience.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.facebook.com/NationalGraduate, https://www.linkedin.com/company/nationalgraduate/, https://www.instagram.com/nationalgraduate/, https://twitter.com/NGEsolutions

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

c) Industry (equipment, commercial, logistical and professional services, transport)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Our aim is to ensure no poverty on all the graduates by applying jobs for them. If all the graduates get jobs then this will ensure that there is no poverty in all homes and this will improve the economy of South Africa.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

We do our best to get employment for the South African graduates and this will assist to reduce hunger in the country. If all the graduates in the country get employment, the country will be in a good financial state and most of the families with have financial stability and result in Zero hunger in the country.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

We try our best to ensure that the qualifications obtained by the graduates does not go to waste. That is the reason we try to get this graduates some graduate programmes/ Internships and full time employment in order to use the skills they obtained from the qualification to good use and build good careers. this will always assist in building innovative solutions in the country.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

We have 70% of female on our graduate database and we promote employment for female graduates and 100% of the graduates we have assisted in getting employment so far are all female.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

We try our best to get graduates employment and this will improve economic growth around our south African youth. Our youth are the future of the country and we try our best to ensure the youth are provided with financial stability and this will improve and build economic growth.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

The project system is fully cloud-based and can be used anywhere and anytime. We use systems such as social media, HubSpot, SharePoint, Power Automate and Power BI and this system are Integrated into one comprehensive system. All the teamwork from home and no need to have an office, thus reducing the office rental costs or employee travelling costs. We provide 50% community service and 50% profit making services and we have support from the communities as we provide 50% community services daily. We provide recruitment services and we have created a good relationship with other recruitment services whereby we give other recruitment companies free CVs for the graduates when they have clients, and this increases a chance of our graduates to get employment. Our main aim is to get employment for the graduates, either through our recruitment service or the NPO services.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

We have 70% of female on our graduate database promoting employment for female graduates and 100% of the graduates we have assisted in getting employment so far are all female.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

N/A

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

We are busy creating partnerships with all the Universities, TVET and private colleges in order to get the graduates aware and informed about our services and their benefits. We have already send requests to all the Universities requesting a meeting to discuss our services and to create a collaboration. We are also in the process of creating a collaboration with the recruitment agencies and private companies to inform us when they need CVs for graduates so we can provide them the information.

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

5

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

5

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.08 Justification for my startup

The project system is fully cloud-based and can be used anywhere and anytime. We use systems such as social media, HubSpot, SharePoint, Power Automate and Power BI and this system are Integrated into one comprehensive system. All the teamwork from home and no need to have an office, thus reducing the office rental costs or employee travelling costs. We provide 50% community service and 50% profit making services and we have support from the communities as we provide 50% community services daily. We provide recruitment services and we have created a good relationship with other recruitment services whereby we give other recruitment companies free CVs for the graduates when they have clients, and this increases a chance of our graduates to get employment. Our main aim is to get employment for the graduates, either through our recruitment service or the NPO services.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Harambee and recruitment agencies in south Africa are my direct competitors. I stand out in a way that I make job applications daily for the graduates for free and copy their email address on each application I make, and this gives them hope of getting employment soon. I engage with the graduates daily on social media and on email and advise them on how to better prepare themselves for the world of work.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes, One of my business owners is a female and she is appointed as the finance director of our business. I have 263 female graduates on my database which is 70% of the total graduates on my database that I apply jobs for on a daily basis.