Limpopo Business 2021-22

OVERVIEW Development

OVERVIEW Development finance and SMME support Support schemes aim to stimulate township economies. The Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme (TREP), a joint effort of the Provincial Government of Limpopo, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and the National Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), assists small companies with compliance, business development services, access to markets and finance. Among the target markets for TREP are bakeries, autobody repairs and mechanics and fruit and vegetable shops. In partnership with Seda, the provincial government has established a construction incubation centre at Steelpoort in Sekhukhune to train emerging contractors. A jewellery incubation centre in Polokwane trains young jewellery makers. Seda also runs the Seda Technology Programme (STP) which helps businesses scale up to the point where their products pass muster in the commercial world. A jam manufacturer may need assistance in getting the necessary health certificates before being able to sell to a big retailer, for example. Nachem Chemical, a company making cleaning chemicals in the Vhembe District Municipality, is an example of a company that has used the STP to good effect. Local, provincial and national government have all committed to spending more of their budgets through small businesses and cooperatives. Getting small-scale farmers connected to the value chain is another priority for provincial and national government. Several Farmer Production Support Units have been established in Limpopo and more are planned. The Waterberg project is due to start in the 2020/21 financial year. Specific state support for SMMEs hit by Covid-19 relief programme was provided by provincial government in the form of a payout of R10-million. Part of the rationale behind reviving the province’s industrial parks is to benefit SMMEs. The National Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has invested R40-million in the Nkowankowa Industrial Park, an initiative which has helped to create 174 direct jobs. In the northern reaches of the province, more than 300 jobs have been ONLINE RESOURCES Industrial Development Corporation: www.idc.co.za Shanduka Black Umbrellas: www.shandukablackumbrellas.org Small Enterprise Development Agency: www.seda.org.za SECTOR INSIGHT Seda has several programmes in Limpopo. created with the revitalisation of the Thohoyandou Industrial Park, which has achieved a 91% occupancy rate. Large companies in Limpopo support new business ventures by allocating service functions to local businesses and through training and mentoring. All of the province’s big mining concerns have significant budgets set aside for procurement from small businesses and work such as cleaning and transport is routinely allocated to SMMEs. More than 20 small businesses are registered as clients with the Shanduka Black Umbrella incubator in Lephalale. Individual mentors for these enterprises are drawn from the local TVET college, the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and private businesses. ■ LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2021/22 56

FOCUS MTN drives diversity and transformation Previously disadvantaged individuals are taking charge of their own stores. Simphiwe Mdlalose MTN’s transformation and optimisation of its retail store footprint is creating jobs, growth and driving gender diversity. In a major development, more and more previously disadvantaged individuals are now the proud owner-operators of stores nationwide. MTN continues the journey of repositioning and creating more opportunities to transform its retail channel. “Parallel to this, we have selected new dealers who represent the aspirations of this transformation and have proven themselves to be astute owner-operators who understand our brand and are committed to the business values we hold,” says Kagiso Moncho, General Manager, MTN Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In Limpopo, Simphiwe Mdlalose joins a group who recently made the move to being fully-fledged MTN store owners. The appointment follows a successful application through MTN’s transformative Branded Retail Channel programme, which was initiated in 2019. Mdlalose will take over two stores based in Polokwane. Owner, self-starter, leader and marketer of note, Simphiwe is a familiar face and an admired and respected entrepreneur, author, inspirational speaker and strategist who has been in the media, marketing and communications space for over 23 years. Over the years he has kept an eye on mobile and digital telephony and identified gaps in key areas. These include government sales, business to business and strategic partnerships within the industry. These gaps were tackled by his company, Conecta Mobile. MTN’s phased transformation strategy is intended to transform the channel by driving BBBEE in the telecommunications industry. This is to be done by lowering the barrier to entry and placing more stores in the hands of black owners and women, thus repositioning MTN’s portfolio and delivering on the goals of national government. “Economic opportunity and digital transformation are key to our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of the modern, connected life and our retail store transformation programme achieves this by not only driving inclusion, but also enhancing and regionalising our national store footprint,” explains Kagiso. “MTN looks forward to working with Simphiwe Mdlalose in support of his ventures and is encouraged to continue building on this ownership model that speaks to the demographics of our country and bettering lives while providing an exciting employee value proposition,” concludes Kagiso. 57 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2021/22