In a welcome boost for small businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay, 17 SMME’s registered on the Baywest Mall contactors’ database received six days of intensive training under a prestigious global entrepreneurship programme overseen by the United Nations.
The week-long workshop which wrapped up over the weekend (on 1 March), organised by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) following a request from the Baywest developers, saw 17 SMME’s attend the Empretec Training Programme at the Radisson Blu hotel in Summerstrand.
With the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) the custodian of the programme, the core focus is on developing entrepreneurs and honing their “soft skills” – helping them understand themselves and their business practises better, according to Louis Nhlapo, Empretec programme manager from the SEDA national office.
The training was welcomed by Baywest M Gavin Blows, who said it was developers’ undertaking not just to create employment with the construction of the R1.7-billion mall and surrounding Baywest City precinct, but also to empower the community through sustainable training programmes.
“It is training programmes such as this that leave a lasting legacy on communities, because it empowers and grows small businesses and grows employment from a grassroots level,” Blows said. “This is exactly the sort of initiative that helps bring down unemployment over the long term.”
Research conducted by Baywest developers Abacus Asset Management and Billion Group shows that the development and operation of the Baywest Mall – excluding the development of the rest of Baywest City over the next 10 to 15 years – will bring down unemployment in the region by 3%.
The six-day workshop was developed in the US and has since been rolled out in 33 countries around the world, including South Africa.
“Empretec is aimed at sharpening the entrepreneurial competencies of participants and building the skills necessary to implement and manage businesses successfully,” said Nhlapo.
“The workshop is motivational and focuses on behaviour-changing training. Its unique feature is that participants are made to start a business at the workshop, prepare a business plan and financial projections, run the business and keep financial records to be audited at the end of the workshop.
“The participants are carefully observed by the trainers and assisted to develop their potential through role-playing, coaching, simulation, field visits, group assignments, case studies and so-on.”
Commenting on reception of the workshop by the SMME’s involved, SEDA Nelson Mandela Bay office manager Andile Yengeni said: “This is the second such training course we’ve held locally and I’ve seen how it benefits emerging entrepreneurs.
“Business owners are trained to discover themselves and hone their entrepreneurship skills.”
Small business owner Dawood Hess, of construction company Westground, said the workshop had helped him identify several strengths as well as weaknesses.
“It’s definitely going to change the way I do business,” said Hess. “I’ve found out that I’m very goal-orientated, but also that I am somewhat risk-averse, even though before the workshop I thought of myself as someone who liked to take risks.”
Owner of Stone Wash Construction, Tibza Mngonyama, said the training stood apart from other workshops he had attended.
“This focused on knowing myself as a business owner. Some of the things I learned about myself were surprising,” said Mngonyama. “This has allowed me the chance to change my business behaviour in order to grow my business.”
Alan Straton
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