Mpumalanga Business 2022-23
The 2022/23 edition of Mpumalanga Business is the 13th issue of this successful publication that since its launch in 2008 has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the province. With messages of welcome to potential investors from both the provincial premier and the MEC responsible for Economic Development and Tourism, this edition of the journal also contains the official Mpumalanga Investment Prospectus, a comprehensive survey of the province’s assets and the potential of the region. Major catalytic projects such as the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ) and the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market (MIFPM) are examined in detail, outlining how producers, processors and logistics firms stand to benefit and where there is potential for investment. In addition to the Prospectus, the journal contains a special feature on education and a series of brief news briefs about some of the most important sectors in the provincial economy.
The 2022/23 edition of Mpumalanga Business is the 13th issue of this successful publication that since its launch in 2008 has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the province.
With messages of welcome to potential investors from both the provincial premier and the MEC responsible for Economic Development and Tourism, this edition of the journal also contains the official Mpumalanga Investment Prospectus, a comprehensive survey of the province’s assets and the potential of the region. Major catalytic projects such as the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ) and the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market (MIFPM) are examined in detail, outlining how producers, processors and logistics firms stand to benefit and where there is potential for investment. In addition to the Prospectus, the journal contains a special feature on education and a series of brief news briefs about some of the most important sectors in the provincial economy.
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SECTOR NEWS<br />
Development finance and<br />
SMME support<br />
Trade and accommodation are popular sectors for startups.<br />
SECTOR INSIGHT<br />
SMMEs are getting help to run<br />
their finances.<br />
Credit: Anglo American<br />
A<br />
programme to assist small companies in the mining sector<br />
has been launched by Anglo American’s Zimele Fund, in<br />
collaboration with the South African Institute of Chartered<br />
Accountants (SAICA). The idea is to boost the sustainability<br />
of SMMEs through training in financial management, accounting<br />
and office controls.<br />
Zimele has been funding and supporting SMMEs in Anglo<br />
American’s supply chain for more than 30 years. Zimele runs four<br />
enterprise development and investment funds related to the supply<br />
chains of platinum, thermal coal and, together with timber and paper<br />
company Mondi, forestry.<br />
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants Enterprise<br />
Development (SAICA ED), which will run the programme, is part of<br />
SACIA’s Learning and Development Division.<br />
Research done by the Small Enterprise Development Agency<br />
(Seda) shows that a high percentage of SMMEs in <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> are in<br />
the trade and accommodation sector. Whereas the national figure is<br />
about 43%, in <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> it is closer to 50%.<br />
Seda is a subsidiary of the National Department of Small <strong>Business</strong><br />
Development (DSBD). Seda is not a financial agency, focussing rather<br />
on training and administrative support, although the agency will help<br />
SMMEs get in touch with financial bodies.<br />
Seda supports several incubators in the province: Furntech,<br />
furniture manufacturing, White River; Mobile Agro-Skills Development<br />
& Training (MASDT), agricultural training, Nelspruit; <strong>Mpumalanga</strong><br />
Stainless Initiative (MSI), stainless-steel processing, Middelburg<br />
(with Columbus Stainless); Timbali floriculture, Nelspruit; Ehlanzeni<br />
TVET College Rapid Incubator<br />
Renewable Technologies,<br />
Nelspruit. TVET stands for technical<br />
and vocational education training.<br />
The <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> Economic<br />
Growth Agency (MEGA) is the<br />
implementing agent of the<br />
provincial government’s SMME<br />
support policy. An agreement has<br />
been signed by Standard Bank<br />
and MEGA to launch an SME Fund<br />
with a capitalisation of R500-<br />
million. MEGA has also overseen<br />
the rehabilitation of industrial<br />
premises in former homelands<br />
and formed partnerships with<br />
financial institutions for funding.<br />
Examples of township businesses<br />
supported by the Department<br />
of Economic Development<br />
and Tourism (DEDET) are an<br />
agreement with Sumitomo<br />
Rubber SA to promote local<br />
tyre enterprises and financial<br />
support for the commissioning<br />
of a sanitary towel plant by the<br />
Ntirhisano Sanitary Worker Cooperative<br />
in Bushbuckridge (and<br />
support for business development<br />
and access to market).<br />
A provincial programme to<br />
repair potholes in roads promises to<br />
create employment opportunities<br />
and benefit SMMEs. The focus will<br />
be on strategic roads and roads<br />
MPUMALANGA BUSINESS <strong>2022</strong>/<strong>23</strong> 54
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