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KwaZulu-Natal Business 2019-20 edition

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A unique business and investment guide to KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. The 2019/20 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the 11th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the KwaZulu-Natal Province. In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic sectors of the province, there is a special feature on the surge in investment in new tourism projects, from casino expansions to the building of a dedicated cruise-liner terminal. Another special feature surveys other large investments in a wide variety of sectors, showing the diversity and strength of the provincial economy. For monthly updates about the region, subscribe at https://www.globalafricanetwork.com/subscribe/ or visit our portal at https://www.globalafricanetwork.com/category/regions/kwazulu-natal/

FOCUS Stimulating the

FOCUS Stimulating the agri sector in KwaZulu-Natal The new CEO of the Agribusiness Development Agency, Zenzele Ndlela, is upbeat about the ADA’s new mandate. Africa has been identified as a sleeping economic giant in terms of its resource potential. Agriculture has the potential to transform the African continent provided all the African countries can work together towards providing support to farmers. This is according to the newly appointed CEO, Zenzele Ndlela, of the Agribusiness Development Agency (ADA). “We all need to put our heads together and stimulate this sector in order to eradicate the twin problems of poverty and food crisis,” he says. ADA is a public entity that was established as a “one-stop-shop” to assist entrant black commercial farmers who had acquired land through the Land Reform Programme. However, the entity has taken on a new strategic direction and aligned its services with those of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). “We seek to promote, establish, facilitate and support the growth of blackowned and managed agricultural enterprises along agricultural value chains in KwaZulu-Natal through partnerships with individuals, communities, the private sector and other public sector institutions in order to achieve a transformed agribusiness sector,” Ndlela says. “There was a need to have a separate entity that would accelerate the provision of a comprehensive support package to black commercial farmers” says Ndlela. ADA has positioned itself to resuscitate as well as develop commercial agriculture and has been able to increase the value of farms owned by black commercial farmers, reduce the number of farms being repossessed as well as deal with the declining local economies of rural towns that relied on commercial agriculture. Ndlela notes, “It must be noted that we have reviewed our mandate and shifted our strategic focus to the entire value chain in agri-business. Our interventions have changed the agricultural landscape in the province. Providing funding to beneficiaries improved their agribusinesses and welfare and enabled them to gain access to markets through capacity building programmes. “The positive attitude and optimism among our beneficiaries towards farming is linked to the newly gained confidence in their skills (farming techniques, marketing, value addition, etc.) which they received from ADA,” says Ndlela. “We have turned around ailing farms including dairies, piggeries, grain farms, vegetable farms and livestock farms from zero production levels to where they are able to consistently supply the market.” The ADA has trained 1 726 individuals and created and/or sustained a total of 2 250 jobs during the construction of physical infrastructure, planting and harvesting seasons, all within the Enterprise and Value Chain Development Programme. KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2019/20 32

1. VISION “A diverse, deracialised, prosperous, and sustainable agribusiness sector in KwaZulu-Natal.” 2. MISSION The ADA strives to promote, establish, facilitate and support the growth of black owned and managed agricultural enterprises along agricultural value chains in KwaZulu-Natal through partnerships with individuals, communities, private sector and other public sector institutions in order to achieve a transformed agribusiness sector in the province. 3. OUR VALUES Organisational values define the key principles and associated behaviours that are required by employees when executing the strategy and functions of the organisation and state what the beneficiaries and stakeholders can expect from the organisation. The values of the ADA are: • Integrity: We commit ourselves to ensuring that our purpose, practices and values are ethically sound, at all times • Accountability: We take accountability for all our actions in dealing with our Clients and Stakeholders and are mindful of possible consequences emanating from our decisions • Excellence: We commit to providing quality services and products to all our clients at all times consistent with the spirit of Batho-Pele • Innovation: We commit to strive for continuous improvements through innovation and promoting a learning organisational culture 4. FOCUS ON OPERATION In keeping with the outcome of the alignment process between DARD and ADA, the Agency will concentrate on the following: • agribusiness development and in particular on agro-processing • on high impact and complex projects that will assist in unlocking public and private resources, as well as assistance in turning around declining industries • look at niche and new products that support import substitution and exports 5. OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICE OFFERINGS We have developed products and services according to four broad areas in supporting agribusiness development: Knowledge and Information Services – these include design and dissemination of agribusiness models, agribusiness training modules and business leadership development; Financial Resources Mobilisation – these include targeted development finance and investments; Agribusiness Facilitation Services – these include connecting agribusiness entrepreneurs to information, technological innovations and markets; Agribusiness Market Infrastructure Services – these include agribusiness capacity and systems development; as well as investments in infrastructure.

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