KATLEGO NGAKE

Youth in Business and Entrepreneurship

Nominee's Province:
Free State

Age:
31

Project Name/Description:
Rooted Craft

More info:

Katlego Ngake, an entrepreneur from Bloemfontein, is making good progress towards putting his locally brewed beer, Rooted Craft, on shelves in bars and restaurants across the country.  Ngake says Rooted Craft Brewery wants to develop into a major producer, with micro-bars and restaurants providing jobs for young people. The craft beer is already available in major hangout spots across Bloemfontein. In 2021, Ngake and his business partners, Itumeleng Melesi and Nthato Musa, won Shoprite’s Hustle competition. “The Hustle competition is recognition of the critical role that the awarded SMMEs play in growing South Africa’s economic future,” he tells us. According to Ngake, this inspiring story began in 2018 when he was playing video games with friends. A moment’s glance at the ingredients column on a beer bottle planted the seed. “Today that seed has germinated into Rooted, based in Bloemfontein. We aim to branch out far and wide to bring you our craft beer,” he declares. Ngake believes unemployment is becoming an impending disaster. “It's increasing not only the crime rate, but the feeling of hopelessness, which coincidentally is having a direct impact on the youth’s mental health.” In his view, the government needs to ensure that every penny that is budgeted for small business development is channelled correctly. “Secondly, invest more in the entrepreneurial space but with the purpose of ensuring that the already established small businesses have the education necessary to run and later scale up the business.”