Occupational Skills Programme: New Venture Creation – SP-210401

New and would-be business owners who know whether their idea can work, what it will cost and how to run it – with a written business plan and a QCTO certificate.

Before someone puts money into a new business, they need to know whether the idea can work. This new venture creation course – the QCTO Occupational Skills Programme: New Venture Creation (SP-210401, NQF Level 2, 32 credits) – gives people starting a venture in any sector the knowledge and skills to judge whether a business idea is viable, work out what it will take to set up and run, and manage its money.

Learners explore and test business ideas, then work through the marketing, financial and operational sides of a small business: customers and competitors, costing and pricing, basic bookkeeping and financial statements, ethical communication and negotiation. Every learner writes and presents a basic business plan. The practical modules are done face-to-face in simulated or real-life settings, so participants leave with a workable plan rather than theory.

The programme suits enterprise and supplier development programmes, community and youth development initiatives, and people moving into self-employment. It runs over 15 days and ends in a three-hour written scenario assessment set, run and moderated by BOTI under QCTO rules. The QCTO's registration of this skills programme ends on 25 October 2026. New learners can still be enrolled until 25 October 2027; enrolment closes after that date, and learners enrolled by then have until 25 October 2030 to complete.

Why this course

What delegates will be able to do

• Assess your own strengths and weaknesses and how they affect the choice of venture
• Identify several business ideas and weigh the pros, cons and personal fit of each
• Describe the market, the competitors and the legal and compliance requirements of an industry
• Draw up a basic marketing plan and a customer service policy
• Calculate the cost of a product or service and set a price that makes a profit
• Record daily transactions, post them to the correct ledger and prepare a trial balance
• Read a basic income statement, balance sheet and cash-flow statement
• Communicate and negotiate ethically with customers, suppliers and partners
• Write and present a basic business plan for a chosen idea

Who should attend

People with an interest in starting a business who have little or no business or financial experience; owners who want to improve, stabilise or grow an existing small business; and participants in enterprise and supplier development programmes and community or youth development initiatives. Learners need an NQF Level 1 qualification; those without it may gain access through recognition of prior learning (RPL). New learners must be enrolled by 25 October 2027, when enrolment closes.

Course outline

How it is delivered

15 days, 08:30-16:00, run either as three weeks of five days or as 10 contact days followed by five business-plan workshop days. The knowledge modules are delivered face-to-face or blended; the practical modules are face-to-face, in simulated or real-life settings. There is no work-experience module. Training runs in person at your premises anywhere in South Africa or at BOTI's venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, for one learner or a group of up to about 20; the final assessment may be written on computer, and an online sitting is supervised and recorded. Learner material is provided. BOTI enrols each learner with the QCTO within five days of the start of training.

Frequently asked questions