Trace Mobile is looking to roll-out youth employment initiatives like Trace Troops in the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape regions in 2020.
This, after the brand introduced Trace Troops in Gauteng this year, providing temporary employment to 12 youths in fields such as sales, marketing and events.
Introduced in 2015, Trace Mobile defines itself as a lifestyle mobile network dedicated to the youth, offering Afro-urban content such as music and free lifestyle and entertainment news.
Through the Trace Troops initiative, Trace Mobile selected 12 young people and trained them in sales, marketing and events in order to best represent and sell the brand to their peers.
Trace Mobile breaks down the 12 troops into two separate groups, namely lifestyle dealers and activation and events co-ordinators.
The lifestyle dealers were responsible for increasing the Trace Mobile distribution footprint by identifying key independent lifestyle retailers in target areas to partner with Trace Mobile in the distribution of SIM cards. Meanwhile, activation and events co-ordinators played a supportive role of assisting in events and activations, which includes promoting the Trace app and lifestyle rewards.
“The Trace Troops are testament to the mission of Trace Mobile to empower and connect the youth to what matters to them the most. Twelve young people became Trace Troops in June 2019 and, having worked with them directly, I've seen them grow in leaps and bounds,” says Ian Postman, head of sales and distribution at Trace Mobile.
Postman continues: “Initially, they came in to increase our distribution footprint among lifestyle retailers, but outside of this, they've added tremendous value to the business in various ways. The future of South Africa's youth is bright and Trace Mobile aims to continue to be part of the solution.”
In a statement, Trace Mobile says although the Trace Troops initiative is a temporary reprieve for youth, some of the participants will have the opportunity to apply for permanent employment within Trace Mobile and Trace TV.