The IBM entrepreneurial programme
Zenzele has participated in the IBM Enterprise Development Programme (EDP) which is focused on developing Black owned and Black woman small and medium enterprises. Zenzele has benefited from financial support, coaching and mentorship and business and technical enablement through the IBM Entrepreneurial Development Programme. Significantly, the collaboration has allowed Zenzele to transform the core recruitment business through cloud computing, mobile technologies and social business applications. What started as a traditional recruitment offering to IBM has become a technologically enabled organisational development platform through the co-creation of the Zenzele app that will run on IBM platforms through mobile and web technologies.
Zenzele has provided recruitment services and the management of the Graduate Development Programme. A deep affinity for the IBM business has seen Jazz Mbanjwa coach and manage the performance of the graduates with IBM business managers resulting in far reaching exposure to the IBM business and very importantly, new business opportunities with IBM. IBM made it possible for Jazz Mbanjwa to participate in the IBM WeConnect International Europe Conference in 2016, an invaluable experience for Zenzele as it identifies and certifies women-owned businesses who can provide value to the IBM supply chain.
Zenzele – A tech enabled people business
Jazz has completed a Masters in Positive Psychology; Strategy and Leadership Transformation at the IE School of Human Sciences and Technology.
For two full years whilst studying; in Madrid under the guidance of world class Professors and experts from all over the world, Jazz has seen a major enriching shift into her career aspirations and a deep transformational journey within herself towards positive change. Jazz has a deep sense of a zest and appreciation of beauty to do more and empower fellow South African in shaping their lives to be the best versions of themselves.
Through this process Jazz has acquired the skills and tools to assist people. The program comes with character building and recognized tools which have assessments and measurement metrics. This is an accredited program that is taught by authentic professors and experts across the world. Zenzele People Professionals, a specialist recruitment firm, in 2002 was founded by the dynamic and visionary businessperson, Jazz Mbanjwa. Since then Zenzele has grown to offer organisational development and employment engagement experiences as core competencies. Zenzele is constantly innovating and its talent attraction and retention efforts will soon be bolstered through cloud based leadership coaching and employee communication platforms.
Zenzele is very proud that it is able to lead these innovations in the people development industry as a result of a longstanding collaboration with IBM. Jazz’s expertise and vision, coupled with IBM’s forward thinking enterprise development programme, has resulted in a collaboration founded on a mutual belief in doing transformative work with people and businesses.
Zenzele and IBM Digital – Nation Africa
Through the Digital Nation Africa Programme, IBM is investing in and building much-needed digital, cloud, and cognitive IT skills to help support a 21st century workforce in Africa. The initiative, “IBM Digital – Nation Africa”, provides a cloud-based learning platform designed to provide free skills development programmes for up to 25 million African youths over five years, enabling digital competence and nurturing innovation in Africa.
The partnership between Zenzele and IBM ensures that these young people have access to education and training which is IBM certified.
Growing into the future – transforming industries
The development of the Zenzele app will see the business grow to appoint an additional project manager, a software engineer and two IT interns. It will also see a 15-20% growth in revenue. Zenzele and IBM are providing a springboard for the transformation of the recruitment and people development industry across the continent.
