The J&B Hive popularly known as Braamfontein’s business hub for aspiring entrepreneurs and established businesses alike has taken a new residency just across the street at 81 De Korte. What was formally known as The Orbit will now be the grounds for the J&B Hive’s daily activities.
The move to the former jazz club is just in time for J&B Hive’s applications for recruitment of new businesses into their new spaces. The competition is now open and will close on the 11th of October 2019. The new J&B Hive space has been curated to equip the next generation of creative entrepreneurs with the resources they need to take their businesses to the next level.
The J&B Hive since inception has become a space for creative entrepreneurs wishing to accelerate their business endeavours as well as a space for collaboration. It has helped businesses like Walk Fresh, a sneaker cleaning business that has expanded from Soweto well into the streets of Sandton.
A media showcase on Wednesday, 18th of September was underpinned by a panel discussion kicking off the reveal, with renowned activist and entrepreneur, Busisiwe Mkhumbuzi. She led a powerful exchange on the current climate of the small businesses in South Africa and how we pull together to mitigate the situation in a tangible way. The panellists included J&B Hive Director Sibongile Musundwa, and J&B Hive members Tebz Ntuli, Co-founder of Old School Coffee Co, Neo Mahlangu of Neo Mahlangu Studio and Itumeleng Montso, founder of Montso Solutions.
“Over the past 5 years the J&B Hive has worked hard to create a space for budding creative entrepreneurs, so that we provide them with an opportunity to accelerate their businesses from the early phase into the mainstream economy” explained Nana Akua Twerefoo, J&B Whisky Senior Brand Manager. Nana further stated that “The J&B Hive is responding to the need to incubate young talent and businesses in a high-tech, fresh and vibey curated space where creativity can roam free. Given the current economic difficulties faced by small businesses, the J&B Hive continues to be a hub for emerging creative entrepreneurs to connect and collaborate to impact change in South Africa.”
The new spaces offer members coworking facilities, a podcasting studio, three stages for intimate gatherings and large-scale events, as well as audio-visual equipment.
J&B Hive has nurtured great talent that have become success stories such as Nondumiso Nkosi the woman behind Afro luxe beaded head jewellery brand Bedoo, who recently collaborated with the iconic SA brand MaXhosa for AFI Fashion Week and Nike on their new Fourways Mall store. Neo Mahlangu of Neo Mahlangu Studios is adesigner of one of the new South African commemorative coins to mark 25 years of democracy in the country.
J&B Hive member Walk Fresh, whose founder Lethabo Mokoena received a Business & Entrepreneurship Award at the Youth Excellence Awards – through the support received from the J&B Hive he has been able to expand his footprint from Soweto to Sandton. Additionally, members of the J&B Hive such as Old School Coffee and Cafenaited have recently won Service Excellence Awards at the Restaurant Association of South Africa Awards. Another successful J&B Hive Member Dipopaai recently hosted animation workshops and masterclasses at the Zanzibar Film Festival and will be appearing at Comic Con South Africa later this month.
For more information on how creative entrepreneurs can benefit from the J&B Hive’s offerings, visit the website – https://www.thehivejohannesburg.com/.
Applications for the recruitment of new businesses into the J&B Hive are now open and close on the 11th of October 2019
