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Facebook workshops unlock digital skills for 3 000 entrepreneurs

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 07 Aug 2019

Facebook has partnered with Digify Africa to launch the “Boost with Facebook” training programme, which aims to train over 3 000 local businesses in digital tools and technologies.

The programme is part of Facebook’s strategy to combat SA’s unemployment crisis by upskilling more South Africans in ICT skills.

Boost with Facebook (formerly known as Boost Your Business) is an opportunity for learning and skills development for entrepreneurs, including small businesses, job-seekers and community leaders, allowing them to find the resources and training they need to thrive in the digital economy, according to the social media giant.

The programme builds on the training Facebook has delivered from 2017, with more than 3 000 small businesses trained in SA.

Available as half-day workshops, which are free and open to everyone, the training sessions promise to help participants develop powerful tool to help grow their businesses.

“Small and medium-sized businesses are the catalysts of growth and job creation in SA,” says Emilar Gandhi, public policy lead at Facebook, SADC region.

“With more than 1.6 billion people connected to small or medium business via Facebook, Boost with Facebook aims to enable local businesses to use Facebook, WhatsApp Business and Instagram to unlock new business opportunities and conquer new markets.

The training sessions are delivered as an interactive, audience-curated Web site that houses and organises the many services and resources available to small businesses, job-seekers and community leaders across Facebook's family of apps and services.

During 2018, Facebook brought digital training workshops to small business owners in more than 15 towns and cities in seven South African provinces.

For 2019, training sessions are scheduled during different months in Ekurhuleni, Tsakane, Johannesburg Central, Soweto, Mthatha, Sedibeng, Mbombela and Cape Town.

"Digify Africa is excited to continue working with Facebook, to reach more entrepreneurs,” says Qhakaza Mthembu, COO of Digify Africa.

”Having seen how powerful Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp have been for the businesses we have trained, we are invigorated to reach more businesses and equip them with the hands-on digital skills they need to take their businesses to the next level."

Also available to users in SA is a Boost with Facebook Web site, developed to help businesses, job-seekers, developers and community leaders find the local and online training they need to develop their businesses and networks.

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