Our Founding Story

Our story began nearly a decade ago with two visionaries—Dr. George Senosha, now our Chief Public Relations Officer (or Chief Ambassador, as we like to call him), and Andre Rheeder, our devoted Managing Director. 

Dr. George made history as the first Black person to own a large retail franchise in Soshanguve. During this time, his path crossed with Andre, who was part of a SETA-accredited training provider. Andre’s company was responsible for skills development at Dr. George’s retail store. 
 

A strong bond quickly formed between them, rooted in shared business ethics and values. Their business meetings often evolved into long discussions about the disparities in the business world, particularly regarding skill levels, especially when comparing larger retailers with the informal business sector. They also aligned with the growing consensus among politicians and economists: SMEs hold the key to large-scale economic revitalization in South Africa. Just imagine the impact if these SMEs could be properly upskilled!

Tackling this objective from different perspectives but with a shared goal, they agreed that true economic transformation would remain a distant dream without a fresh approach. Neither could claim ownership of the solution, but fate intervened when they both discovered a successful mentorship model implemented by the Malaysian government. Its simplicity and transformative results were exactly what they had been seeking.
One of the key issues they identified was that small business owners could not afford to leave their businesses unattended for training, nor could they spare the time or money for conventional skills development—even though the value of upskilling was universally acknowledged. These entrepreneurs were trapped in a vicious cycle. 
The solution lay in on-site and on-demand training.

As technological advancements accelerated—spurred on by the necessity of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic—Andre discovered and partnered with MyEcampus to develop a tailor-made six-month course consisting of 120 online classes. This hybrid model includes two half-day on-site visits per month by our mentors to each business over the six months. 

The Mentoring Programme further evolved through Dr. George’s connection with Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Andre’s relationship with Maharishi Invincibility Institute (MII). They established a strategic partnership that allows undergraduates and postgraduates to gain workplace experience and build portfolios of evidence by mentoring these SMEs. This collaboration not only enhances the quality of the programme but also equips graduates with valuable experience, increasing their employability.

From these beginnings, we have grown to where we are today, providing not only the skills but also the resources needed to help and support businesses as they scale their enterprises.