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Free State Business 2021

  • Text
  • Business
  • Invest
  • Investment
  • Infrastructure
  • Economy
  • State
  • Africa
  • Logistics
  • Mining
  • Trends
  • Economic
  • Industrial
  • Manufacturing
  • Tourism
  • Municipality
  • Factory
  • Province
  • Sector
  • Programme
  • Businesses
The 2021 edition of Free State Business is the 11th issue of this successful publication that, since its launch, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the Free State. The Free State has varied investment and business opportunities and the Free State Development Corporation describes some of these in detail in these pages. Drilling for natural gas is a new phenomenon which may spark activity in other sectors and this journal notes significant new investments and projects in the chemicals and mining sectors. The official launch of the Maluti-A-Phofung Special Economic Zone (MAP SEZ) was a significant event for the economy of South Africa’s most centrally located province. Located on the strategically significant N3 highway that links the economic heartland of South Africa to the coast, the MAP SEZ has the potential to attract new investors and spark a revival in the manufacturing sector. In addition, overviews on each of the key economic sectors provide up-to-date information on trends in the mining and tourism sectors, for example. Regular information about the size and nature of each sector is also included.

Growing shared value in

Growing shared value in our community Kekeletso and Kedibone Tsiloane founded South Africa’s first eco-friendly brick manufacturing company in Sasolburg, Ramtsilo Manufacturing and Construction. Kekeletso attended cohort of the Sasol-NWU Enterprising Women Programme in 2017 and was the runner-up in the SAB Foundation Social Innovation 2019 Awards. Above are the ladies with 50 tons of plastic Sasol donated to them. Ramtsilo is part of Sasol’s sustainability projects SMMEs and has an enterprise development relationship with Sasol. Zikhona Ngubentombi is permanently employed at Rates and Taxes, Metsimaholo Local Municipality after completing the 2018 Sasol Youth Development Programme, a partnership with the Free State Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. It is Sasol’s aim to achieve a transformed, sustainable, diverse and high performing supplier base through simplifying our processes and accelerating the development of small and transformed businesses and giving them enterprise and funding support. Our economic transformation and local content programme is focused to align with the shared value approach to integrate all our interventions which deal with economic inclusion. This includes a focus on nurturing early stage entrepreneurial talent to enable a mindset for development and agility in our communities. Since Sasol’s Enterprise Development relationship started with Kent Electrical Services in 2015, the company grew from 24 to 30 employees, increasing their annual turnover by 2019 by 60%. Kent provides solutions in the industries of electrical services, telecommunication, oil purification plants, and recently expanded to warehousing and distribution facilities management. Apart from securing contracts with Sasol in Sasolburg, they also do work for Sasol and other organisations in Gauteng. Another company that benefited from Sasol’s Enterprise Development initiatives is Siyashanela Services. Founded in 2002, their relationship with Sasol only started in 2013. Since then, Siyashanela increased their annual turnover by more than 100% in 2019.

Green Eden Nursery is another local SMME assisted by Sasol’s Enterprise and Supplier Development Programme. Their relationship with Sasol started in 2013, having 16 employees. They increased their staff complement to 50 employees while also growing their annual turnover by more than 100%. Green Eden renders a number of services to Sasol, from tending to gardens, to weed control and supplying of indigenous trees, in particular during Arbor Day. The owner of Green Eden Nursery, Khathutshelo Maseleni specialises in indigenous trees, working with the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Centre for Environmental Management at the North-West University. This work relates to the planting of indigenous trees and furthering biodiversity. They also grew their staff complement from 30 in 2013 to 130 in 2019. They acquired their first contract with Sasol for plant and office cleaning, but were able to expand their services to include load securement that has since become their primary business. They also do material distribution and render a material handling service. There are a number of other initiatives in and around Sasolburg through which Sasol promotes entrepreneurship development. As part of Sasol’s Social Investment initiatives training opportunities include the Sasol-NWU Enterprising Women Programme, the Sasol VUT Entrepreneurship programme and the Sasol Youth Development Programme done in partnership with the Metsimaholo Local Municipality and the Free State Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. “Our aim is to enable economic inclusion and access for small businesses, to contribute to economic growth, through our economic transformation programme.” Rightwell Laxa, Senior Vice President, Sasolburg Operations.

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