PROGRAMME HISTORY
iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority established the Rural Enterprise Programme in 2008 to provide increased access among neighbouring communities to economic empowerment opportunities, aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of iSimangaliso’s communities, as well as forming part of iSimangaliso’s tourism-led economic transformation strategy for the area. uMkhanyakude Districts is amongst the poorest Districts in KZN with high employment rate, low literacy rate and slow economic growth.
iSimangaliso Enterprise Programme aims to address the socio-economic inequalities that exist in and around communities neighboring the Park. The promotion and development of small, medium and micro enterprises is one of the key interventions implemented by iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority in line with the country’s National Development Plan.
The programme has supported more than 645 local entrepreneurs through trainings, mentorship and awarded 220 small grants to the beneficiaries who successfully pitched their businesses and have completed training (the grant component is funding dependent). The grants iSimangaliso issues are in form of business equipment to ensure that the SMME is elevated in their business and able to take more opportunities.
iSimangaliso Enterprise Programme prioritizes businesses that are linked with and conservation tourism related, infrastructure and any environmentally compactable businesses. With the introduction of Biodiversity economy by mother Department DFFE, iSimangaliso had to follow suit and implement this strategy. iSimangaliso Enterprise Development programme now offers support to SMME’s within biodiversity economy space.
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME
The iSimangaliso Enterprise programme offers a package of business support services and training, which include:
- Classroom based Training and business skills development includes;
§ Business management training,
§ Financial management training,
§ Customer service,
§ Production/Innovation,
§ Quality control
§ Pricing of goods and services,
§ Marketing.
- Mentoring and field visits;
§ 4 individual mentoring sessions per annum plus filed visits to participating businesses for all enterprise beneficiaries.
§ Visits to individual businesses are also used to verify information that the entrepreneurs have been communicating about their businesses.
- The provision of grants to assist with equipment and business inputs:
iSimangaliso procures necessary equipment needed by the beneficiary for his or her business to grow. (This component is FUNDING BASED).
- Access to a business hub support and advice:
iSimangaliso has a 24hr support line dedicated to beneficiaries to access support when needed urgently.
- Technical assistance, for example in assessing and identifying viable business enterprises and assistance with access to markets.
- Access to finance (grant) if funding is available.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Participants must;
• have a business idea, preferably already involved in business;
• Be able to read and write;
• Have a risk taking personality;
• Be driven by the need to run that particular business;
• Be from neighbouring communities
• Must be a committed individual to the process of learning.
This programme is designed to take an ordinary trading community member, provide them with business skills which will enable them to formerly trade, by registering them with all the necessary business bodies like CIPC, SARs, CSD and VAT if necessary. This initiative assist the businesses in a sense that they are able to trade with other government institutions and other conservation or tourism related businesses because they have been exposed or introduced to range of suppliers who need service. This also enables them to increases the numbers of people employed because they have more business opportunities.