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The graduation of 27 budding owners of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises today marks an important milestone for the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s Enterprise Development Programme as this figure brings the total to 213 since the latter’s inception in 2014, says Denise van Huyssteen, the CEO of the Chamber.
This comes at a time the Eastern Cape Province is grappling with an unacceptably high unemployment rate of 42,8%, while the Metro’s is 34,7%, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Survey Results.
The current figures reflect an urgent need for innovative and high-impact solutions to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship to create more job opportunities.
The ED programme is supported by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation to empower SMMEs with skills to run financially sustainable enterprises and to unlock socio-economic development through structured multi-level training, mentoring and linkage support. The programme runs for over nine months and is rolled out as a partnership between ECDC and NMBB Chamber.
The programme covers the following modules:
- Creative Selling Techniques Workshop
- Ethics Workshop
- Tax Workshop for Business Owners
- Tender to Secure Business
- Sustainability Module
The advancement of entrepreneurship and small businesses remains a priority of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, says Eugene Jooste, ECDC Acting Head of Development Finance and Business Support.
“Our commitment ensures that SMMEs progressively increase their contribution towards the realisation of an inclusive, sustained and resilient economy, especially now as we make way on the recovery plans post the devastating effects and headwinds brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is through programmes such as this one where we recognise the importance of sustainable interventions and support that will ensure an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive and fully participate in the economy.
“Today’s graduation reaffirms the importance of the strategic partnership between the Chamber and the ECDC. Ever since the programme started, it continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and in the process, has benefitted scores of hardworking businessmen and women who want to positively contribute towards enhancing the province’s economic landscape,” says Van Huyssteen.
One of the graduates, Sibongiseni Witbooi, who runs a creative company offering high-end photographic, graphic design and videography services, says that he discovered the programme through an ECDC presentation on the subject and “immediately took interest and followed their platforms to be on the lookout for the next intake and more opportunities."
“Being part of the programme has helped tremendously as I now feel more confident and have a better understanding of my business. It has benefitted me in both business and my personal development. I am taking all the lessons I've learned and applying them to elevate my business profile and have started with its vision and marketing strategy to attract our target audience," he says.
"That has helped with providing a clear line of our service offering and this has benefitted us and our client base, which is made up of private education institutions, business and private sector."
