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Coega’s Strategic Partnership Programme

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Coega Dairy
The Coega Dairy is one of the large private sector enterprises that have
taken up the Strategic Partnership Programme (SPP) by the Department of Trade & Industry.
(left to right) MEC for Economic Development Environmental Affairs and Tourism – Sakhumzi
Somyo welcomed by Dr Victor Korsten, Coega Dairy CEO at the Coega Dairy launch last year.

The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) conducted a workshop at the Business Process Outsourcing Park (BPO), Coega SEZ yesterday. The workshop, which targeted various Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s) and large private sector enterprises in the Nelson Mandela Bay, provided an opportunity for bridging the gap between established and emerging businesses.

The workshop, focused on the Strategic Partnership Programme (SPP); an incentive plan created by the dti to encourage large private sector enterprise partnerships with the support of government. The program seeks to nurture and develop SME’s within the large private sector supply chain or sector companies. The workshop was also aimed to inform the Eastern Cape based companies of the application window of SPP that will remain open until the end of 2019.

The purpose of the Strategic Partnership Program is to support Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy through encouraging businesses to strengthen Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) Codes of Good Practice.

“The SPP incentive is a very unique offering and should not be passed by,” says Mark Alard, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Customer Care from the dti.

What the SPP offers for SME’s is a cost-sharing grant to a maximum of R15 million per annum towards the total qualifying costs which is based on the number of participating suppliers on a 50:50 cost sharing basis.

The objectives of the program are to fund partnerships that are focused on improving the sustainability of manufacturers of goods and suppliers as well as trigger localization of value and supply chains.

“The SPP incentive enhances the manufacturing and services which apply capacity and capability of suppliers with linkages to strategic partnership, supply chains, industries or sectors” adds Alard.

Therefore, the workshop highlighted the cost-sharing basis between government and strategic partner(s), which is available for infrastructure and business development services to mentor and grow enterprises in South Africa.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.