Girlboss is one of my favourite hashtags on social media. It celebrates girls and young women who think and act like boss. These are young girls like us. Some of them come from disadvantaged communities and families. They are boss because they believed in their business ideas, and made them a reality.

Like Mbali. Even though she’s only 15, she is an urban farmer, and sells vegetables in Soweto. Or Lethabo (11) and Kemo (13). Their company sells beaded jewellery around South Africa.

They’ve inspired me to start a small business. I asked my sister for help. She says I must start with an idea, and look around our community to see if there’s a service or product I can sell. I have a laptop and my dad lets me use his data to go online. Because a lot of people in my area are looking for jobs, I’m going to start typing a professional CV.

I also need a business plan. This simply means having a document that explains how my business will work, and what my goals are for my business.

Next comes mentorship. This is super important! A mentor is someone who uses their experience to teach you and support you. It can be a successful business person in your community. You can also try organisations that support young business people, like IDC – Youth Entrepreneur Fund and IDF. They also help with funding.

The National Youth Development Agency and Small Enterprise Development Agency offer mentorship on how to run a business. Pretty cool, neh?

Goals