Gabe Khan Helps Others Develop Business Skills in South Africa

Gabe Khan meets with Inkululeko in preparation for the wrap-up meeting.

The Business Skills Course funded by the U.S. Consulate Cape Town recently held a wrap-up meeting in Makhanda, South Africa, led by Inkululeko’s General Manager, Julian Barker. Gabe Khan, a Renée Crown Honors Program alum, worked extensively with Inkululeko to draft the original curriculum along with several others.

Khan provided critical input on teaching concepts that would empower learners to impact their community while keeping the course interactive and engaging. After receiving feedback from facilitators, Khan gained valuable insights into Makhanda’s local context and how the businesses students developed contribute to a sustainable ecosystem.

“I think most of our decisions about the course took a balance of teaching the students new concepts that would impact their community, but also keeping it interactive and fun,” said Khan, highlighting his central role.

In developing the curriculum, Khan learned more about how Makhanda functions and incorporated ideas to keep business within the community and reduce waste. After the final meeting, Khan felt the course was successful based on the creative, community-focused projects learners developed.

Khan’s collaboration with South African partners ensured the curriculum was locally relevant and impactful. His contributions as a lead curriculum developer empowered young entrepreneurs and served as a model for future cross-cultural youth training initiatives.