According to research by World Wide Worx, there are an estimated 650,000 small businesses in South Africa, employing around 7.8 million people. Now, these businesses face various challenges in this ever-changing environment. Investor and Serial Entrepreneur Vusi Thembekwayo joined us in the studio to take a closer look at entrepreneurship and where we stand as a country in this regard.

Nearly everyone dreams or wishes to own a business or company of their own in the future but maybe everyone isn't cut out to be an entrepreneur.

Starting a business is like planting a tree. First, you prepare the soil by tilling and ridging it. Then you can plant your seed. However, planting isn't the last step. You have to keep watering, weeding and shielding the plant from pest and other potentially dangerous animals, including harsh weather conditions and the likes. Constantly doing this will eventually lead to the growth of a tree- your tress.

In the case of business, you start by researching and developing yourself, seek funds and finance before proceeding with plans to start the business. Sounds pretty easy, right? Unfortunately, it takes more than that, which is why too many businesses fail or never grows beyond startup level and eventually, the owners are forced to give up and shut the business down.

So, how do you know if you are cut out to be a successful entrepreneur?

In this video, I'll share with you 7 Signs That You Are Not Cut Out to Be an Entrepreneur. This, I believe will help you become a successful person. If you're new here, consider subscribing so that you won't miss other interesting videos like this.

De Beers -- the world's leading diamond producer by value -- has unveiled a project to help young black entrepreneurs. The initiative aims to create value chains in the industry, on home soil. Most of De Beers' diamonds are mined in South Africa, but 90-percent of the precious stones are cut, polished and designed for the jewellery market outside the country. Sumitra Nydoo takes a look.

For maverick entrepreneur Ian Cox, Africa is the last frontier of free enterprise. The former small-time hustler has been busting his ass on the continent for years, selling and moving merchandise. In 2012 he nabbed a lucrative United Nations contract to transport equipment from South Africa to South Sudan, a country on many countries' embargo list. The other problem: the journey north entails passing through countless checkpoints and dealing with bribe-happy officials and their nonsensical paperwork and regulations.

Photographer and filmmaker Tim Freccia followed around Ian and the guys he hired for this job. "Cowboy Capitalists" documents their attempts to navigate the continent's dangerous roads and bureaucratic chaos.

Watch our other documentary about truckers in Africa, West African Truckers: http://bit.ly/West-African-Truckers

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• May 9, 2014 @ 15:00 - 17:00
Wits Business School invites you to a lecture on Social Entrepreneurship: Creating social value in society and business by focusing on social finance, impact investing and social innovation policy to be delivered by Professor Alex Nicholls from Saïd Business School, Oxford University. 
Professor Alex Nicholls MBA is the first tenured professor in social entrepreneurship appointed at the University of Oxford and was the first staff member of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in 2004. His research interests range across several key areas within social entrepreneurship and social innovation, including: the nexus of relationships between accounting, accountability, and governance; public and social policy contexts; social investment; and Fair Trade. To date Nicholls has published more than fifty papers, chapters and articles and four books. Most appear in a wide range of peer reviewed journals and books, including four sole authored papers in Financial Times Top 30 journals. His 2009 paper on social investment won the Best Paper Award (Entrepreneurship) at the British Academy of Management. In 2010, Nicholls edited a Special Edition of Entrepreneurship, Theory and Practice on social entrepreneurship -- the first time a top tier management journal had recognized the topic in this way. He is the General Editor of the Skoll Working Papers series and the Editor of the Journal of Social Entrepreneurship.                                                                                                                                                                                          Panellists:
• Professor Imraan Valodia -          Dean: Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits UniversityMs Catherine Townshed -            Endeavor South Africa: Managing DirectorMr Pascal Fröhlicher       -            Impact Amplifier: PartnerMr Devang Vussonji       -             Dalberg - Global Development Advisors: Associate Partner 
Moderator:
• Professor Boris Urban: Chair in Entrepreneurship, Wits Business School.
The panel discussion will focus on how businesses in emerging markets need to cultivate a social component around their business models which can shape their social values and outcomes. Social entrepreneurship has gained popularity under shifting market conditions and can be viewed as a process that catalyses social change and varies according to the socioeconomic, cultural and institutional environments. In South Africa, social entrepreneurship has unequivocal application where traditional government initiatives are unable to satisfy the entire social deficit, where an effort on the reduction in dependency on social welfare/grants is currently being instituted, and where the survival of many non-governmental organizations (NGO's) is at stake. Recognizing that a key issue confronting social entrepreneurs relates to the evaluation of outcomes, the panel discussion will hopefully facilitate a better understanding of the assessment of social initiatives.
Date:     Friday, 9 May 2014
Time:     15:00-17:00
Venue:   Donald Gordon Auditorium, Wits Business School, 2 St. David's Place, St. Andrews Road, Parktown.

Swaady Martin is the Founder and CEO of SWAADY GROUP, a socially-responsible group of brands processing local raw commodities into high-value products distributed globally. CGTN´s Julie Scheier has her story.

► Becoming a South African Entrepreneur
• Hey guys! It's about time I update you on all the things going on in my life. I'm so excited to sit down and just have a chat with all of you.
To sum things up: My videos will now be based around two young South African entrepreneurs who are building a business based on biblical principles. Expect to see a variety of content, from following me around to content around all things business related.

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Anna Phosa, two time winner of the department of agriculture's female farmer of the year started her pig farm with only four pigs. She now has a contract with retail giant Pick 'n Pay worth a staggering R25 million. We recently visited Anna's farm to find out more about her secret to entrepreneurial success.

The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship is a non profit community project funded by Virgin Unite, the foundation of the Virgin Group that believes in the power of entrepreneurs to create jobs. It provides practical "Virgin flavoured" business skills workshops, mentorship and access to networks to bold, tenacious entrepreneurs who have taken the step of launching a business in their community but need support to grow it. The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa is based in Braamfontein Johannesburg and Virgin Unite recently launched the second Branson Centre in the Caribbean (Jamaica). For more information, visit www.bransoncentre.org

There is only one fruit and vegetable market a rural North West province in South Africa forcing some farmers to drive for over 200km to reach markets. Perfect opportunity for one fresh produce processor. The founder of Green Buds is bridging that gap by connecting farmers and consumers. His initiative has yielded results that have been commended by the government. CCTV's Yolisa Njamela with the story.