Government need to accelerate active participation of black people in the economic sectors that would produce employment and technical l skills transfer. This was said by the Acting Chief Director of Black Industrialists Programme at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Takalani Tambani.
He was addressing delegates at the success summit held in Pretoria, under the theme Entrepreneurial Wealth Creation.
Tambani who was speaking on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mzwandile Masina, stated that businesses that were going to create jobs needed to enter the economic space, and participate meaningfully in the key sectors of the economy and the value chain.
According to him government has continuously expressed its commitment to the support and development of small businesses.
“Our approach to small business support systems is multi-pronged. It combines government support systems in funding, incubation and market support as well as private networks of information and strategy sharing amongst emerging businesses,” stated Tambani.
Tambani said government was promoting the creation of black industrialists through the black industrialists programme to fast track inclusive economic growth and to date over R 500 million has been approved and committed amongst more than 8 approved companies that applied for the Black Industrialists Scheme. Sectors approved include plastic and pharmaceuticals, metals, electro equipment, and agro-processing.
He further encouraged black entrepreneurs to form partnerships and joined ventures to fully participate in the economy.
“As government, we would like to see black people participating in the mainstream of the economy, and in particular in the manufacturing and value-adding sectors of our economy,” added Tambani.
The Chairman and founder of Success Summit, Dr Nondumiso Mzizana, told the business people at the summit that she had challenges with finding mentors when she started her business and therefore saw a need to mentor and share her experiences with other business people.
According to her, enthusiasm and tenacity are the two factors that made her succeed in her business and urged other businesspeople to have both; and also work hard for their businesses to thrive.
This way, she said, they would be able to grow their businesses and contribute to job creation.
The summit was focusing on the upliftment of the youth, women and disabled entrepreneurial communities in the rural and township areas and is about personal and business self-development. Delegates also received information from the National Empowerment Fund, Industrial Development Corporation, The Innovation Hub and Unemployment Insurance Fund.
