MZANSI MAGIC MARKET DAY

Mzansi Magic Market Day is looking for young entrepreneurs and performers between the ages of 7-15 years who want to showcase their creative flair at magical day-time events around the country on September 1. The 2012 entries for the annual youth market day are now open.

This entrepreneurship and talent initiative, originally called KTV Market Day and moved under M-Net's Mzanzi Magic banner last year, aims to develop business men and ladies of the future with big ideas. They can either sell their products or perform in the talent section by singing or dancing or wowing the audience with a group act. Of course, there are also great prizes and accolades up for grabs.

This year, 15 years since its launch, the initiative is casting the net wider by inviting over 750 schools to participate at locations in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein. The Mzansi Magic Market Day team will also be providing free workshops to spark creativity through new and innovative idea exchange sessions in these regions.

M-Net’s CSI Manager, Palesa Xorile, says that through Mzansi Magic Market Day young people can discover their inner creativity or talent. “We would like to encourage the youth entering this competition to be bold and daring with their ideas. We’ve seen amazing products and talent in previous years and we hope that 2012 will be even more spectacular.”

The underlying vision driving Mzansi Magic Market Day is for learners throughout the country to come away from the event having learnt key business principles and how to apply them successfully. Part of this is what happens in the months before the event – specifically the curriculum-aligned and grade-specific publications that M-Net Cares produce for use in Economic Management Sciences (EMS) classes. The inclusion of a Money For Enterprise booklet, worksheets, educator’s booklet (aligned to curriculum outcomes) and more are becoming key elements of EMS lessons in classrooms countrywide.

The judging process will be based on originality and the execution of bright plans. The products have to be unique and able to fly from the stalls, which should be eye-catching. For the singing and dance acts, judging will be based on the wow-factor.

The closing date for the 2012 Talent entries is August 14 and the Craft entries is August 18.

This year’s national winners, named Mzansi Magic Entrepreneur of the Year and Mzansi’s Next Big Star will each receive a whopping award of R20,000 among other prizes.

One of last year’s successes was Marcolyn Arumugam of Hopeville Primary in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal won Best Sales by making backpacks from discarded t-shirts. Following his success at Mzansi Magic Market Day 2011, Marcolyn participated in the Eskom Expo for young scientists in October and took home Gold in the Recycling Category (provincial level). He also won Silver for his backpacks at national level, going on to spend his holiday teaching adults how to make the backpacks at the Phoenix Child Welfare and Lungilani Rescue Centre.

The winner of Mzansi Magic Market Day 2011’s talent section, Steven Jesse Sukhnan of Durban also took inspiration from his success at the event, entering the DAC-funded uShaka Marine World’s Search for the Stars Competition and earning himself a dance contract at uShaka for the 2011–2012 period.

Mzansi Magic Market Day 2012 will be broadcast on the channel. The Durban co-ordinator is Vera Vencatasamy on 031 505 1743 or email: m-link@iafrica.com For more details visit www.mzansimarket.co.za