The launch of the inaugural Bolt Accelerator Programme (BAP) Awards in South Africa took place at the Garden Venue Hotel, West of Johannesburg this morning.
Prior, the
programme was implemented with great success in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
Bolt, one
of the leading ride-hailing platforms in Africa, officially launched the BAP Awards
in South Africa with the aim of empowering Bolt drivers and their immediate
family members by providing them with seed funding, mentorship and business
training to develop innovative solutions addressing real-life tech mobility
challenges in the country.
The BAP is
designed to support business ideas that focus on sustainability, inclusive
mobility, and on creating more people-centric cities. By fostering
entrepreneurship within its driver community, Bolt seeks to transform
ride-hailing from merely a source of income into a launch pad for
entrepreneurial dreams.
"The
Bolt Accelerator Programme is more than just a business initiative, it’s a
partnership; a promise to invest in the growth and development of our driver
partners," said Lerato Motsoeneng, Bolt’s Senior General Manager for South
Africa. "Because if you grow as our partners, we grow, and South Africa
thrives."
The program
began with an open call for applications and received nearly 500 submissions
from Bolt drivers and their family members across South Africa. Following a
rigorous evaluation process, 100 participants were selected to advance to the next
phase.
These
participants followed a 10-week hybrid training and mentorship programme hosted
by Pranary, a practical business school known for its hands-on approach to
entrepreneurship education. The curriculum included expert-led workshops,
strategic guidance and access to an AI-enhanced learning platform.
Sandras
Phiri, founder and CEO of Pranary praised Bolt for the initiative, saying: “It’s
good when we have big companies like Bolt, which empower not only the drivers through
work but also empowers them to start their own businesses. This is incredible.”
At the
culmination of the programme, participants presented their business ideas during
a Business Pitch Day. The top 20 ideas were shortlisted, and finally the top 10
each received €2,000 (approximately R40,000) in seed funding, along with
ongoing mentorship to help bring their ventures to fruition.
The 10
winners were Kamogelo Modise, Masedi Seshibi, Williams Makgato, Zaheer Yusuf,
Luyanelisa Lukaka, Simamkele Xani, Nancy Shoba, Vutivi Shivambu, Uhone Ndou and
Shanon Adams.
Other partners
included the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Department of
Transport.
The
expansion of the BAP to South Africa builds on its successful implementation in
Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, where it has already funded 30 driver-partner
businesses.
These
ventures range from mobile apps for vehicle maintenance to electric vehicle
charging stations and fleet management solutions.
To
participate in the BAP, applicants had to meet the following criteria:
·
Be
an active Bolt driver with at least 100 completed trips, or an immediate family
member (spouse or child over 18) of such a driver.
·
Must
reside in South Africa.
·
Be
available to commit off-peak hours over a 10-week period for intensive hybrid
training and mentoring sessions.
·
Present
a feasible business idea addressing real-life tech mobility challenges in South
Africa, focusing on sustainability, inclusive mobility, or creating more
people-centric cities.
The launch
of the BAP Awards marks a significant step in fostering innovation and
entrepreneurship within South Africa's transport sector, empowering individuals
to drive change in their communities.
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