Zandile Mabizela and Dr Johan Coetzee Photo: Leatitia Pienaar 24 April 2012

A business plan presented by Zandile Mabizela, a B.Com. Honours student in Financial Economics and Investment Management at the University of the Free State (UFS), was placed second in a competition of the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

The JCI is a worldwide non-political and non-sectarian youth service organisation with the aim and purpose of creating positive changes in the world.

In the JCI SA Best Business Plan Competition ten finalists gave presentations at the Anglo American Head Offices and the Mag+ Business Plan that Zandile presented was placed second overall at an awards ceremony in Sandton.

Her lecturer, Dr Johan Coetzee, says the remarkable feature of this achievement is that the proposal made by Zandile was the only business concept by a student among the top five. The remaining finalists are all operational businesses that are managed by entrepreneurs in the field.