Thirteen-year-old entrepreneur Eric Meyer is transforming a simple pillow-and-blanket concept into a growing business with ambitions to create jobs and enter South Africa’s tourism market.
The Grade 8 student at Centennial Schools is developing Hint of Africa, a business producing a South African interpretation of the “Quillow” — a pillow that unfolds into a full-sized blanket.
The products are made using colourful African-inspired Shweshwe fabric, combining a practical product with distinctive local design.
Eric’s involvement in Hint of Africa began after his mother started the business. As her other commitments increased, he identified an opportunity to take greater responsibility for the venture and gain practical experience in entrepreneurship.
His goal is to become the youngest successful entrepreneur in his family while learning how to develop, operate and grow a business.
But Eric’s longer-term ambitions extend beyond selling the product.
He hopes to develop Hint of Africa into a sustainable enterprise capable of creating full-time employment for at least five seamstresses.
The potential employment component gives the venture a broader economic-development dimension, demonstrating how youth entrepreneurship can eventually create opportunities for other people.
Eric is also considering South Africa’s tourism sector as a potential market.
His vision includes selling the Quillow through tourist shops at airports and hotels as well as the Kruger National Park and private game reserves.
The product could have particular relevance for safari destinations, where visitors could use the blankets during cold early-morning and evening game drives while also taking home a locally designed product.
Eric’s experience reflects a growing emphasis on exposing young people to entrepreneurship before they leave school.
At Centennial Schools, entrepreneurship forms part of the curriculum and is supported by practical programmes intended to give students experience in developing and testing business ideas.
Shaun Fuchs, Founder and CEO of Centennial Schools, said South Africa needs more young people capable of recognising opportunities, solving problems and creating value.
“Entrepreneurship forms a core part of our curriculum, supported by practical initiatives that we run such as NextGen Founders; an annual entrepreneurship programme that we designed to help students from Grades 6 to 11 create, develop, and manage their own businesses,” Fuchs said.
“It enables students to test ideas in real market conditions and work closely with experienced business leaders.”
This approach gives students an opportunity to experience entrepreneurship as a practical activity rather than only learning business concepts in the classroom.
For Eric, that experience is already taking place through Hint of Africa.
What began as a pillow that transforms into a blanket is now giving a 13-year-old practical experience in product development, identifying markets and building a business — with a longer-term ambition to create employment for others.
