
LiveWIRE
LiveWIRE is one of Shell’s social investment programmes established in Scotland in 1982. The programme offers youth enterprise development training in order to equip young people with skills needed to combat youth unemployment and poverty levels, particularly in developing countries.
Shell introduced this programme in South Africa in 1995. It has recently been reviewed and revitalised and the new version was re-launched in 2014 in Johannesburg. This new version signifies a new era for youth enterprise development in the country. The programme will be facilitated by Raizcorp,Shell’s service provider for LiveWIRE 2.0.
Shell is delighted to offer this new version of the programme. We believe the new format will prepare young people with relevant skills that meet market demands. The programme supports the current country priority and strategy of minimising poverty, unemployment and inequality and to power the development of South Africans.
The ultimate aim is to contribute towards creating a sturdy culture of small and medium sized entrepreneurs (SME) and to build the knowledge, skill and capabilities of these SME in the country. The new LiveWIRE reflects Shell’s commitment to address skills shortage and to improve labour market competencies of the communities of importance to Shell.
Shell LiveWire South Africa
Shell LiveWIRE
My name is Thabitha Malinga
I’m from Tembisa in the East Rand
I am a mom to 2 beautiful children.
I’m a sister and I am an entrepreneur.
So I was browsing through the internet and I saw the Shell logo and I remember picking up funding, incubation and that was good for me to start applying.
So in my mind when I applied I was looking for funds.
Thabie Mobile Spa is my fourth business attempt. Because of the lack of experience, the revenue that I made was hand to mouth.
I would make R500 that day and then close shop, go shopping.
It failed so many times.
(text - subtitle) We've come a long way.
(text - subtitle) She's a child who has always had vision.
(text - subtitle) After Matric we asked her what she wants to do in life.
(text - subtitle) She said "Somatology".
(text - subtitle) Her father asked "What is Somatology?"
My vision was so clear and it still is and for me to get to that vision I had to really make a lot of sacrifices.
(text) Thabitha was selected to be part of the Shell LiveWIRE program in association with Raizcorp.
The entrepreneurial journey is a tough one. We all believe erroneously that there’s a place, there’s a nirvana, there’s a peak at which it will all be okay. We’re only there for seconds before we realize that there’s another peak and more issues and more problems and sometimes that relentless pushing back on our journey it takes a toll on individuals. It’s only certain people that push through that.
(text) Shell LiveWIRE is a global social investment initiative that focuses on training and equipping young people with the necessary entrepreneurial skills.
So she came in here with a business model of her mobile spa and optimistic and this is something that she loves, she’s been in the industry for quite some time. Now we said to her, “Okay fine, this is beautiful but let’s look at the vision, let’s look at where this business is going.” Now, you see we’re not giving them answers, we’re asking them questions.
I acquired learning through Shell LiveWIRE. It’s now a year that I’ve been with them and during that year I have learnt so much. I have learnt what it really means to be an entrepreneur.
When I started here I was with a panel of sixty other candidates and now I’m a finalist of 2 candidates.
The program is intended to develop businesses that can become suppliers or match our supplier chain. She is aligned to our wellness program that we have at Shell where we look at a holistic view of employee wellness and she’s done very well.
You know, when I speak about it I become quite emotional because right now I can say with pride that my business is profitable and the reason why my business is profitable is because of the program.
(text) She now employs 3 people, expanded her business to include kids pamper parties and plans to move to bigger premises later this year.
Phases of implementation
- 50 identified candidates will be invited to an initial Bright ideas workshop in the beginning of02 &03 December 2015. Duration: 6-8hrs.
- The second stage is the Business start up workshop. 20 qualifying candidates will progress to this level in 16 -22 January 2016. During this phase, the candidates will be equipped with the skills to create their own business plan. Duration: 40 hrs
- The third phase is the Pre-start Up Support: In this phase, 20 candidates will be provided with support until they successfully start their businesses. Duration: 3 month
- The final phase is the Post Start Up Support : 10 candidates will progress to this level after starting up their businesses. This level aims to help the candidates’ business grow and includes mentoring and incubation to support the businesses to be sustainable in the first 3 years post start up. Duration: 36 months.
Criteria of suitable candidates
- People between the ages of 16 – 35
- Mainly candidates that meet black-owned and black women owned criteria for B-BBEE accreditation
- Must be Gauteng based, with other areas like Rustenburg and eMalahleni included
- Must have a reasonable business idea in mind
- Preferably have a business which has been running for 6 – 12 months
Join the Shell liveWire South Africa Programme Today
Young entrepreneurs at Shell Livewire programme

Young entrepreneurs learning about pitching their ideas

Discussing elevator pitch

Group work

The group at the end of the programme
MORE IN Sustainability
Environment
Shell provides energy in a responsible way, helping the world move towards a future in which the energy used causes minimal impact on the planet.
Safety
We are committed to delivering energy responsibly and safely, preventing harm to our employees, contractors, local communities and the environment.
You may also be interested in
Students and Graduates
Are you a remarkable student or graduate with less than three years’ experience? Join us as we explore and discover better energy solutions together.
Diversity and inclusion
We believe in creating an inclusive culture where you can thrive. Find out why diversity and inclusion is important to Shell.
Life at Shell
Meet, and be inspired by, our pioneers, innovators, adventurers and explorers across the world. Discover their stories and get an insight into careers at Shell.