ALEXANDRA RESIDENTS ENCOURAGED TO GRAB OPPORTUNITIES AND CREATE OWN JOBS

The Deputy Minister in the Presidency Mr Obed Bapela has urged the community of Alexandra to grab the job opportunities that currently exist in the country and refrain from seeing some of these jobs as low-level jobs. Bapela said many jobs exist in the country. However, many people fail to realise that these opportunities exist because they look down on them.

He was speaking at a co-operatives workshop hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in Alexandra on Monday, 10 February 2014. Aspiring entrepreneurs and the youth were workshopped about forming co-operatives in order to access funding from government and its agencies.

“There are a lot of dumping sites in Alexandra, and if the youth could see such opportunities, organise themselves into co-operatives and clean up these sites or even recycle the material found there, such projects would assist them to create jobs for themselves and also participate in the local economy,” said Bapela.

He advised the community to copy the strategies utilised by foreign nationals to establish and run businesses and compete with them instead of fighting them.

The chairperson of the Trade and Industry Portfolio Committee Mrs Joanmariae Fubbs said co-operatives provide a tool to creating jobs for oneself, others and vehicle for growing the economy. She encouraged the community to think out of the box, stop asking for government to provide jobs and start creating their own jobs.

“If you are united in number you have the power. Co-operatives are successful because they bring together different skills and contributions and promote corporate ownership,” she added.

According to Fubbs, the Co-operatives Act which was recently signed into law provides for a lot of opportunities for support and funding for co-operatives.

The community was given an opportunity to interact with officials from the dti’s   incentive administration division, the Youth and Co-operatives Directorates, Small Enterprise Development Agency (seda), Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF).

Ms Linda Chauke, an entrepreneur who owns a Mayonnaise manufacturing company said she was excited about the information she received at the workshop. She said she had been struggling to get funding to improve her business and buy new equipment.

“I am happy to have received this information. I am now considering converting to a co-operative and give ownership to other people I work with so we can be able to access these wonderful opportunities from government,” she added.   

SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS TO BENEFICIATE MORE OF ITS MINERAL RESOURCES

South African delegates attending the Mining Indaba Investment Promotion workshop in Cape Town were encouraged to beneficiate more of the country’s mineral resources in order to create jobs and drive enhanced revenue creation. The Investment Promotion workshop was organised by the Department of Trade and industry (the dti) in conjunction with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).

Addressing investors and South African mining representatives during the workshop, the Chief Director of Investment Promotion at the dti, Yunus Hoosen said the push for industrialisation by government was done through the beneficiation strategy and the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP).

“Industrialisation is outlined in the country’s medium-term growth plan, the New Growth Path (NGP), which identifies mineral beneficiation as part of job drivers, and one of the six key sectors for creating five million new jobs by 2020,” said Hoosen.

Hoosen added that South Africa still export most of its minerals as semi-processed minerals rather than high value intermediate to finished products.

The Chief Executive Officer of Brand South Africa, Mr Miller Matola urged delegates to take advantage of all investment opportunities offered in the mining industry and other sectors.

“South Africa is making huge investments in skills development which will help drive the economy and create sustainable jobs,” said Matola.

Matola highlighted that South Africa, like any other country has challenges, but it is how South Africa chooses to respond to these challenges that matters.

SA ARTISANS AND ENTREPRENEURS GET LONG-TERM DISPLAY OPPORTUNITIES AT ONE OF THE WORLDS BIGGEST DISPLAY MARKETS

The community of Atlanta, the biggest city in the US state of Georgia, are being exposed to some intriguing examples of the home decor and textile-manufacturing talents of a wide range of South African artisans and entrepreneurs.

After an absence of five years from the Atlanta’s Americasmart Showrooms, the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) has re-established a permanent showroom to showcase local products manufactured by small businesses and cooperatives. This is one of the of the dti interventions to broaden the participation of SMME’s and Cooperatives in the economy through global markets. The reinstatement of the showroom to this market has been widely welcomed - and the quality of the goods that have been put on display has been fulsomely praised.

In reopening the showroom, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe, said she was highly impressed by the talent and skills that had gone into designing and crafting an ‘impressive array of fashionable products.

The participating artisans at this showroom consist of an interesting mix - of both the known and the up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Among the more established businesses participating is the Bayede! Royal Signature Textiles from KwaZulu-Natal.

Bayede! (an isiZulu term that translates into English as ‘Hail the King!’) has strong connections with the Zulu Monarch, King Goodwill Zwelethini, who, in backing it as a job creation project, has given it his ‘royal seal of approval’ and hailed as the first to develop royal and luxury product range for the African continent.

Some of the products on display include sets of ottomans and coffee tables made out of recycled tyres by Yolanda Msutwana and Sazi Mkunqwana, and their East London-based company, Ozzys Eco Decor, and award-winning baskets hand-woven out of ukhasi grass and ilala palm leaves by Angeline Masuku. Some of the participants include Tlanggape Upholstery, which manufactures customized furniture, in addition to restoring upholstery (as well as customizing woodwork, authentic African fabric and leather), is based in Polokwane, in Limpopo 

Deputy Minister Thabethe said that the cultural diversity of these products ought to be a source of inspiration to all South Africans. Thabethe stated that she was convinced that American and international consumers will be impressed with the quality of the goods on display.

In his message of support, the South African ambassador to the USA, Mr Ebrahim Rasool, said thrilled that the dti has brought project to fruition. 

INDIAN COMPANY EXPLORES MINING OF SA COAL

Officials from the South African Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and representatives of Coal of India have agreed to explore mutual prospects in the coal sector in order to increase trade relations between the two countries, and explore opportunities on display in the South African mining industry value chain. The agreement emanated from a meeting held on the side lines of the Africa Mining Indaba in Cape Town.

Coal of India is in the business of mining and exporting low grade thermal coal and has been mapping the South African coal mining industry, with the interest of acquiring mining concessions and information on how best to exploit coal deposits in a way that serves the best interest of all stakeholders.

The discussion also elaborated on the cost involved in the mining business and the industry’s policy, government priority in terms of mining and regulatory framework in the effort to clarify and provide predictable solutions.

“These discussions with different stakeholders are a breakthrough on how South Africa could engage more productively with investors in the mining sector,” said Mr Yunus Hoosen from the dti.

Hoosen said the talks were also a platform to encourage big mining role players to develop smaller mining companies in the coal sector to be sustainable, and also zoom in on the beneficiation opportunities and localisation within the industry.  

MINING INDABA WILL GENERATE SUBSTANTIAL LEADS FOR AFRICAN COMPANIES

 The Mining Indaba that is currently taking place in Cape Town will generate substantial leads for future investment and collaboration in the mining sector for South African companies. This was said by the Chief Director for Investment Promotion at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) Mr Yunus Hoosen

He was speaking on the side-lines of the Africa Mining Indaba where twenty four companies supported by the dti are exhibiting in the South African National Pavilion set up in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is supporting.

“The companies exhibiting in the pavilion represent mining houses, professional services, engineering and capital equipment manufacturers who are capable of developing value chain with their respective counterparts in other countries,” said Hoosen.

He added that the Mining Indaba will afford these mining companies an opportunity to showcase their expertise especially in the area of beneficiation.

“Government still wants to attract and encourage investment in the sector in order to grow the economy and also to explore joint ventures for future major mining infrastructure projects in South Africa,” he explained.

The dti delegation will be meeting with potential investors from Brazil, India, Nigeria, Japan and Iran to explore areas of mutual benefits, throughout the week. An investment workshop will also be held on tomorrow, as part of the Indaba. 

Earlier the Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu, told delegates at the Mining Indaba that the event has contributed significantly in attracting the appropriate attention to the potential of African mining investment and development.  She also stated that beneficiation of minerals was critical for the government and formed part of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) Amendment Bill.  Minister Shabangu added that government is confident that the MPRDA will provide a predictable, stable and globally competitive mining legislation that will amongst others promote investment, development and transformation.