Shaping Future Entrepreneurs: Inside The Raymond Ackerman Academy’s Collaboration With The Johannesburg Business School

She highlights how the partnership equips students with practical skills, mentorship, and exposure to real-world business challenges, enabling them to turn ideas into impactful ventures. Through targeted programmes and joint initiatives, the RAA-ED, through the Johannesburg Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship (JBSCE), empowers students to develop strategic thinking and ethical leadership, preparing them to become capable, innovative leaders ready to navigate South Africa’s complex socio-economic landscape.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship entered into a partnership with the Raymond Ackerman Foundation in 2009, with a shared goal to expand access to employment, entrepreneurship, and academic opportunities for youth from underprivileged backgrounds. The collaboration aims to foster an entrepreneurial culture among South African youth through the RAA-Ed. Delivered through JBSCE, it focuses on practical learning, innovation, and leadership development.  Leonora explains that the mission is to nurture young people’s entrepreneurial spirit and foster a culture of innovation by combining classroom instruction with hands-on experience. It empowers participants to turn their ideas into sustainable businesses, advancing JBS’s objective of developing responsible future leaders.

Sauls reflects on how opportunity and belief have shaped her own professional journey. “I did not fit the traditional profile. I did not meet all the conventional requirements for the role. But I was given a chance by the executive who headed up the division,” she explains. This experience has shaped the Academy’s philosophy and its people-centred approach to youth development. For her, “it became evident that fostering entrepreneurial skills among youth not only benefits the individual but also contributes to broader societal development.”

A key strength of the partnership lies in the supportive ecosystem JBSCE fosters. Saul highlights the importance of the Centre’s team in ensuring the programme’s success. “To be very honest with you, I have never in my professional life worked with a team like the team at JBS and specifically,” she says. She describes the team as a family with a shared purpose, noting that their expertise, collaboration, and dedication enable the Academy to operate effectively. According to her, this environment ensures that young entrepreneurs feel valued, guided, and empowered as they grow.

The objectives remain clear: increase employability, promote sustainable entrepreneurship, foster adaptability, and strengthen digital competencies. Mentorship plays a central role in achieving these outcomes. Through JBSCE, participants receive personalised guidance as they navigate challenges, refine their ideas, and develop practical business solutions within a supportive and structured learning environment.

Looking ahead, Sauls indicates that over the next five to ten years, the Academy aims to expand its impact by strengthening partnerships, updating its curriculum, and increasing its reach. International expansion remains a possibility. “That remains the dream. That is always the aspiration.” Throughout this growth, collaboration and people-centred leadership, hallmarks of JBSCE’s approach, will remain fundamental to the programme’s mission.

Youth unemployment and economic pressures continue to challenge South Africa’s development. Initiatives anchored at institutions such as the Johannesburg Business School demonstrate how entrepreneurship education can drive meaningful change. By recognising potential, connecting theory to practice, and prioritising impact-focused leadership, the RAA-ED, through JBSCE, continues to develop future-ready entrepreneurs who are actively engaged in the economy.

In her concluding remarks, Sauls affirms that “purpose-driven development, especially in entrepreneurship, is a significant driver of social change.” She hopes that “the Academy will be remembered for aligning its actions and strategies with its vision and for using its available resources to create a positive societal impact, moving beyond financial metrics.”