Want to reduce your tax liability? Looking to bolster your enterprise (ED) or socio-economic development (SED) points? YES is a registered public benefit organisation (PBO), which means businesses can benefit through donating to our YES Hubs. Your donation to Hubs could also help your business claim crucial B-BBEE points. This blog covers the YES Hubs, their impact, and how your business can benefit through effecting measurable and meaningful impact in township communities.
Learn more about YES Hubs and how far your contribution goes.
What is a YES Hub?
When you walk into a YES Hub, you walk into a new future.
YES Hubs connect youth and the community to global best practice in training and technology, specially located and designed to address barriers to youth employment and economic inclusion.
How your business can benefit
Creating a YES programme and sponsoring YES jobs is not the only way your business can contribute to fighting the unemployment crisis. Businesses looking for innovative ways to utilise their (often last minute) donation or B-BBEE spend can do so with YES Hubs.
There are three main benefits for businesses looking to donate to YES Hubs:
1. Claim ED and/or SED points
YES Hub programmes are focused on uplifting communities through
- Relevant, paid 12-month skills programmes/work experiences for youth
- Short courses and skills transfer for the wider community
- Small and micro business development to bolster township economies
By allocating your B-BBEE spend to YES Hubs programmes of your choice, your business can claim ED or SED points on the B-BBEE scorecard.
2. Receive a Section 18A certificate and reduce your tax liability
Because YES is a registered PBO, businesses (or individuals) can opt to allocate up to 10% of their taxable income to YES, as opposed to SARS. In return, we’ll issue you with a Section 18A certificate, allowing you to qualify this for tax deductions for the year. In-kind donations are also accepted.
It’s a fantastic way to allocate money where it not only matters, but where the impact is measurable and meaningful.
Here’s a quick step-by-step of how it works:
1. Businesses or individuals decide to donate to YES Hubs
2. The donation reduces the business’/individual’s taxable income (thus reducing their tax liability)
3. YES issues a Section 18A in the year of assessment.
4. The deduction may not exceed 10% of taxable income (before allowing for deduction).
5. If any excess beyond the annual 10% limit remains, it can be further rolled over into the next year (and even the year after), but is always subject to the 10% limitation.
6. So, the donation is funded by the business/individual but partly through tax savings.
3. Integrate your spend with your business’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies
Your business can integrate its donation/B-BBEE spend with its ESG goals by carefully selecting a YES Hubs programme(s) that aligns with your business’ overall sustainability strategy. Our programmes are specially designed to both meet the needs of the community, as well as reflect the main key sectors business and the country focus on, like urban farming, drones, creative and more.
How YES Hubs use donations
Funders can donate to either/both the operating costs or infrastructure of the YES Hubs or specific programmes. For example, your business could donate spend allocated towards cameras for the Youth Content Collective (YCC). Alternatively, as another example, your business can donate to the training material/trainers for the Drones Academy.
Read more about our YES Hub programmes below.
How your donation benefits communities
Young South Africans, specifically from township, poor and rural communities, face many challenges,[1] which include and are exacerbated by high numbers of substance abuse, risks of being involved in crime, dysfunctional homes and relationships, and an overall feeling of demoralisation.[2]
Interventions that address and bring valuable solutions to communities have become critical for country, economy and youth.
Hubs provide access to market for businesses – getting products, services and technologies into the hands of the fastest-growing market in South Africa. Our funders have contributed to world class programmes and work experiences that encourage growth in young people, and ripples across families and communities.
South Africa has over 500 townships that are home to an estimated 40% of our urban population.[3] These communities contribute greatly to the running of our economy. The Gauteng and Western Cape provinces make up one third of South Africa’s population, play a critical role in the country’s GDP, and host some of the country’s biggest cities and townships. [4]
Our YES Hubs are located in selected townships with the capacity to reach many youth and provide a platform for skills and personal development. Investing in and harnessing the talent and skill that come from these communities is beneficial to the wellbeing of our country, its economy and its growth.
YES Hubs programmes
Our programmes are aligned with selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and can integrate with your business’ ESG strategies. Through YES Hubs, your business can create youth jobs in sectors that build economic, social and environmental stability in communities. Through this, we are creating opportunities and critical youth jobs in forward leaning sectors that bring long-term long-term value to young peoples’ careers, lives and futures.
The YES Green Engine Module (The Genesis Hub, Saldanha): The Green Engine Module is equipped with conventional land farming, hydroponics and aquaculture. The hydroponics and aquaculture facilities are interlinked to create a sustainable recirculation loop for water and nutrients, aligning with SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production. Youth acquire skills in all areas thus enabling them to acquire fixed term or permanent jobs in the agricultural and aquaculture industry which also aligns with SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth.
The Youth Content Collective (YCC, national programme with headquarter in Ulusha Hub, Alexandra): YCC is a bold programme built to supply authentic, high quality creative materials to business customers. Fresh, hot and custom-created. Powered by YES and Metropolitan GetUp, YCC grows talented young South Africans into micropreneurs by helping them as, content creators, participate in the creative gig economy, aligning with SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth. The skills taught in this programme are, innovative, in-demand and relevant (SDG 4: Quality education), and will future-proof these young creatives (SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure). YCC’s aim is to be the go-to source for great South African (commissioned and stock) content, and to be the best creative development programme in the country.
The Culinary Academy (The Genesis Hub, Saldanha & the Ulusha Hub, Alexandra): The YES Culinary Academy is a commercial, multi-formatted training programme, including a training kitchen, onsite restaurant, bakery and coffee shop. The module offers youth 12-month incubation opportunities in various aspects of food services including front-of-house, back-of-house, and chef, barista or baker courses. Youth are exposed to various food services careers and provided with the opportunity to work for a 12-month period before being guided into multiple career pathways in the food services industry. Youth acquire an NQF 4 qualification in the food services category (assistant chef qualification), aligning with SDG 4: Quality Education
The Drones Academy (The Genesis Hub, Saldanha & the Ulusha Hub, Alexandra): The YES Drones Academy trains YES Youth to fly drones, analyse the data drones collect, and repair these incredible machines. The programme also has a sector-specific focus, training youth to work in agriculture and mining security. This helps identify pathways for young people into local value chains that use drones to support their business processes. Certificates and qualifications include payloader operator, remote pilot licence, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and drone maintenance. This module is aligned with SDG 9 and SDG 4, equipping youth in the long-term and giving them various opportunities across sectors.
Small business centre (The Genesis Hub, Saldanha & the Ulusha Hub, Alexandra):: The YES small business support centre provides direct support to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME), and aims to increase the number of scaled SMME businesses and aligning with SDG 8 and SDG 9. The module also caters for support in marketing, financial accounting and business plan development. The YES New Venture Creation training is endorsed by the QCTO as an NQF 2 qualification, aligning with SDG 4.
Nyathi Arts Creation: Trains youth in the production of ceramics and pottery. This programme assists in bringing skills to youth that they are able to monetise and make a living off of. Local production is increased as well as earning ability and economic empowerment, all of which align with SDG 8.
Textile manufacturing: This programme assists community women to acquire a skillset to become seamstresses, reducing vulnerability of females through earning an income by aligning with SDG 5: Gender equality, as well as SDG 8. They acquire an NQF 1 qualification through this programme, (SDG 4). The seamstresses also undergo 12 months of sewing experience which equips them to either start their own enterprises or become employed as an experienced seamstress.
Hair and nail academy: In our Hair and Nail Academy youth are trained and provided with practical work experience in hair dressing and nail technician, via a 12-month SETA-accredited training programme. Aligned with with SDG 4.
Automotive academy: Youth are taught to install and maintain vehicle material, throughout the 12-months they get exposed to the motor industry to gain experience and with these skills they can start up their own businesses in the motor trade, aligned with SDG 8, and allowing them greater opportunities to explore entrepreneurship.
YES Youth superstar born from our YES Hubs
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Sweetness Simata, owner of the booming Sweet Chef Dak Wings, located in Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, has seen nothing but a delicious journey since the beginning of his YES programme.
Sweetness was born in Alexandra township and attended the Johannesburg Culinary and Pastry School, where he attained his diploma. Finding employment after he graduated was a major challenge for Sweetness.
Through his hard work and perseverance, he was exposed to Wakanda Food Accelerator, a host partner for YES at the Ulusha Hub in Alexandra.
At the end of the YES quality work experience, Wakanda Food Accelerator gave him an amazing opportunity and incubated him in their Chefpreneur programme. This opportunity, along with all that he learned during his YES programme, assisted him in starting his own business, creating opportunities for others in the future, like a true multiplier.
Join the movement. Uplift communities. Change lives.
Email coporatesupport@yes4youth.co.za to find out more and donate.
[1]https://hoperecovered.org.za/en/about/challenges/
[2] https://hoperecovered.org.za/en/about/challenges/
[3] https://ecosystems.andeglobal.org/snapshot/south-africa-township-economy/2021/
[4] https://ecosystems.andeglobal.org/snapshot/south-africa-township-economy/2021/
Amendment to the Gazette