Tebogo Mathe has won the 2019 SME Toolkit BUSINESS/PARTNERS Business Plan Competition for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs after beating 1,000 other entrants.

The 32-year-old businessman who distributes eggs across the country won a R20,000 mentorship voucher, R30,000 in seed capital and various other sponsored prizes on Tuesday. The competition sees thousands of small business owners enter the competition every year, the aim being to encourage young South Africans to venture into entrepreneurship to combat unemployment.

“I am excited and believe winning this is another stepping stone towards the ultimate goal,” he told SowetanLIVE.

“It was unexpected. Realising my fellow contestants were into technical innovative ideas and other sophisticated stuff, I ruled myself out because basically I just sell eggs. I was a bit shocked but ecstatic.”

Mathe who is called "The Egg Man" by the community of Mabopane started his business a few years after completing his matric in 2008. He said he was not happy with his matric results so he delayed going to university.

“I’m now in my final year in LLB at Unisa but I had to pause in between due to the rapid growth of the business and I was also working at Legal Aid, it was a lot of multi tasking,” he said.

Mathe said he was so busy at times that he had to make deliveries for the whole day with no time to study.

The businessman said he supplies eggs to homes and various entities.

“We supply to households, restaurants, students on campuses. We also supply to various big companies and shisanyama’s.”

Mathe told SowetanLIVE he had employed 24 people who are mostly students.

“I enjoy having the power to determine my day and time. I mostly enjoy seeing people smile and being happy with our services, it fulfils me in a way.”

David Morobe the executive general manager at Business Partners Limited said Mathe has proven to be entrepreneurial.

“Mathe has already started implementing measurable business activities on a small-scale and his passion for his venture also came through clearly in his business plan.

“Despite all the challenges, he uses every opportunity, especially those that exist within his own community such as using part-time sellers to distribute eggs and paying them a commission. In doing so, Mathe has created regular income for 23 members of his community.”