Welkom High School walked away with a 100 000 cash prize at the Eskom annual Simama Ranta Awards held at Ticketpro Dome, North of Jo’burg.

The high school was recognised and rewarded for showing leadership in educating their learners about entrepreneurship at the 2016 Eskom Simama Ranta Awards.

The annual Eskom Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Education competition is aimed at identifying and celebrating secondary schools successfully implementing entrepreneurship education.

To qualify, these schools must have Enterprise clubs that teach learners the basics of running a business through practical application while responding to their respective communities’ socio-economic needs.

Welkom high school’s club which has been in operation since April 2016, produces various decorating and other useful items such as candle holders, and making bags out of old t-shirts.

To raise funds,they hosted cake sales at their school, where they made around R800 a day.

These are the winners from other provinces, and they each received a prize of R50 000 for their clubs.

Eastern Cape – Mabhentseni Junior Secondary School (Cofimvaba District, Gqogqora)

· Free State – Zastron Combined High School (Xhariep, Zastron)

·Gauteng – Rondebult Secondary School (Ekurhuleni South District, Rondebult)

· KwaZulu-Natal – Welabasha High School (Uthungulu District, Empangeni)

· Limpopo – Khaiso High School (Capricorn District, Seshego)

· Mpumalanga – Mdzili Secondary School (Ehlanzeni District, Schulzendal)

· Northern Cape – Wrenchville High School (John Taolo Gaetsewe District, Wrenchville)

· North West – Tong Comprehensive Secondary School (Kagisano Molopo District, Ganyesa)

· Western Cape – Vista High School (Metro Central East District, Vlaeberg)

Deputy President of the WHS Yes Club, Grade 11 learner, Nombulelo Ntakakazi says they didn’t expect to win due to the tough competition that they faced. I’m a believer in the saying, ‘If you don’t build your dreams, someone else will hire you to build theirs.’

The Eskom Development Foundation’s Acting CEO, Cecil Ramonotsi says, “The Eskom Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Education Competition is one of the ways we are contributing to that improvement. The competition is one of our programmes geared at investing in young people, who are the future of our country.”

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