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Johannesburg - The Chivas Venture reality show ended on a clear evening at The Good Luck Bar on Fox Street, Johannesburg, on Thursday night.
Hosted by Tats Nkonzo, the show sifted through more than 6 000 initial entries and whittled the number down to just five entrepreneur finalists, who stand the chance to represent the country in the international version of the Venture and win their share of $1 million (R12.3 million).
They will also get to rub shoulders with other pioneering businesspeople.
The judges are footballing legend Lucas Radebe, singer Unathi Msengana and IT fundi Stafford Masie, who were all present at the recording.
A small crowd of business types – who were easy to spot by their tapered pants and understated, yet expensive, brogues and loafers – were in attendance and, of course, the theme was formal.
Recordings are always strenuous because of all the retakes – not to mention the heat given off by studio lights. This was eased a little by the abundance of Chivas and the delightful treats on offer.
The show is not original – it is very similar to e.tv’s Hangman, for example – but there are some refreshing additions.
Spazapp solves the problem experienced by many spaza shop owners: wholesalers don’t deliver small orders and going to buy stock is time consuming and expensive. The app, devised by Tim Strang and Byron Verreyne, connects the formal and informal sectors, grouping shops in the same area and making it possible for small shop owners to benefit from bulk buying and deliveries.
HearX Group, designed by Verreyne, is the world’s first smartphone-based hearing test, and it has the potential to reach millions of people across the world who have undiagnosed and treatable hearing loss.
But perhaps the most exciting idea is one that involves traffic-generating electricity. Vehicle Energy Harvesting Systems was conceived when Clement Mokoenene watched an aeroplane landing and wondered about the pressure and heat that was created in that moment. He realised that any energy generated could be harvested and converted into power.
The finale, when the judges will decide on which venture to back, will be aired on Mzansi Magic on January 9 at 8pm.
The evening was enjoyed by all and it was a delight to see how Chivas has chosen to align itself with the show.
