By publishing interesting content through accessible channels such as MXit (a free social network on mobile phones), it has up to 1.3 million page views a month and 55,000 unique visitors.
The cellphone technology reaches 20,000 people weekly enabling teenagers to identify with characters, have (fictional) role models to aspire to and share their own experiences by leaving up to 800 comments daily on the various stories.
University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) MBA student and joint winner of the Association of MBAs' 2013 Global AMBAssador Challenge, Brigitte Roediger, says that against the backdrop of South Africa's history and the importance of developing South Africa's underprivileged youth, the content provides a unique way of dealing with social issues, facilitating education and engaging in meaningful conversations.
"These stories and poems are powerful; providing insight, awareness and hope and reflecting readers' lives. It is no wonder that FunDza has been named as one of the top 10 most innovative global companies in Education for 2013, by Fast Company," she says.
Hardie has been involved with the start-up and management of a number of SMEs, including the Fundza Literacy Fund, where she is a trustee and trust manager. During her MBA at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, it was the combination of learning about value-based organisations and the work philosophy of 'make meaning, not money' that resulted in her resigning from her unsatisfying corporate position and setting her ambitions to find a greater cause to support.
Together with other inspired individuals, she created a new demand in an uncontested market space. In the millennial world of technology, most children do not consider reading books as a hobby, even more so for children with deprived backgrounds who cannot relate to the current published material.
FunDza has generated its own 'blue ocean strategy' and entered a market space that most business leaders would have otherwise walked away from due to its complexities, lack of information and questionable viability.
One of her greatest challenges while working on the Fundza project was during the start-up phase, gathering sponsorships and giving up a personal salary for almost a year. For Hardie, the way to overcome such a challenge is to focus on the optimistic goal and know that there will always be a plan to make things work.
As a business leader, Mignon lives by the Nelson Mandela quote, 'the time is always ripe to do right', which explains her decision to change career paths, endure challenges and be a co-founder of a project that continuously gives back to the community.
For more information, go to www.fundza.co.za.
