Dennis Ackulay

Dennis Ackulay is a passionate social entrepreneur who wants to empower SMMEs and  change the face  of  impoverished communities

Dennis Ackulay is a Congolese events co-ordinator and founder of My Arts, which holds varies activities all around Free State.

Tell us about yourself.

It’s hard for me to talk about myself, but the little I can say is that I am a businessman who has identified opportunities and new innovative approaches to engage various stakeholders in solving some specific social problems in the Free State and the Northern Cape provinces. Since 2009, I have been working hard to ensure that the leading ideas for social change are fully developed and sustained. I am in many businesses, ranging from career orientation, social entrepreneurship to students accommodations and, lately, guest houses in town.

So you’re a social entrepreneur? Tell us what exactly is social entrepreneur?
I know for a fact that social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, Social entrepreneurs find out what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.

How does a social entrepreneur differ from the mainstream entrepreneur?
While mainstream entrepreneurs of today tend to be selfish and look only for their own interests, social entrepreneurs change communities. A business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries; a social entrepreneur comes up with new solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale.

Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better.

When did you develop the interest of becoming an entrepreneur?
I am a born entrepreneur and I don’t see myself doing another thing except being a school principal who makes final decisions and doesn’t need the school governing body (SGB). I started when I was in high school by selling books to learners, then in 1990 I managed to have my own library which initially had 500 novels, but thanks to various embassies, I managed to change it to media centre with more than 2000 magazines and cultural books about other countries.

Unfortunately, I had to move to another country and pursue something new.
Since the calling was still there, I decided in 2008 to resign from a well-paying job to start my own business. It wasn’t easy. By 2009, I had lost everything, but because this is my passion, I always knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel. It took a few people, very few (less than 10), to have faith in me and give me that moral and logistical boost that I needed.

What challenges do you encounter? Please explain in detail.
I won’t be able to talk about some of the challenges, but I have seen all kinds of malignant hatred. It breaks my heart, but when I think of many other mouths I need to feed every month-end and how many people depend on me, it makes me strong.

What has been the highlight of your career?
The Mangaung Youth Empowerment Week (MYEW) held every April and the Free State Career Focus Week (FSCFW) held every September. These two events keep me working hard and bring various stakeholders and companies who can educate the youth about different fields of work and careers. We have just finished with the MYEW two weeks ago, but we have already started preparing for the FSCFW which will be the biggest outdoor career expo of the province.

How would you describe the Free State industry in terms of social entrepreneurship?
Creativity is normally not welcome in the Free State and entrepreneurship is not taken seriously. There are only three special programmes units working in the Free State government. This makes the work of social entrepreneurs very hard in this province because of laziness in government. When you go to places likes arts and culture the department has been turned into a joke. It makes me want to throw up.

What needs to be improved?
If only government realised that small businesses in the entire province need to be empowered in order for jobs to be created.

Now, let us be realistic. A bursary is good, it helps students to study but does it create immediate jobs?
What works is the empowerment of small businesses the same way students have been empowered with bursaries. If they can do it for students, I am sure it can also be done for businesses. Once the government does that, many jobs will be created and votes will come in millions. So the empowerment of small businesses in the Free State needs a serious improvement because we are not seeing any happening now, and tenderpreneurship must end.

What in your opinion are causes of the limitations in the provinces?
Firstly the lack of open mindedness, then laziness in government. The reason why cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg are developing fast is because of people’s open-mindedness. Creativity from the private sector is not killed but supported. There is just too much bureaucracy and red tape in government.

How would you describe the other role players in the Free State?
Politics is powerful and like it or not, it’s affecting us every day, therefore making sense of it is vital. You don’t need to be involved in politics but must be politically aware so that you align your business with the policy in place. Flexibility must be one of the key successes in business. I wish one day, government will understand that empowering small businesses is a key to job creation and sustainable development.

Where do you see yourself after five years?
God knows why he put me in the Free State and He has a plan for me. This year is a profitable year for me and I honestly been having profitable business moments this year and I thank God for that.

Every day, I make sure that I grow and if you can add all the daily growth, you will be talking to a more grown up me in five years’ time. I still want to grow my business empire. I will surely be married by then and spend more time with my family.

Where do you see the industry in five years, specifically in the Free State?
This industry is unpredictable but we will still be here helping young people with career orientation through the MYEW and the FSCFW. And since we will shortly be opening the Atlehang Career Centre, I am sure after four years, we will have it in all districts.