The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber in collaboration with Standard Bank, have launched an Entrepreneurship Desk Accelerator Programme with a significant focus on empowering entrepreneurs in three critical areas.
Chamber’s Business Information Manager Lunga Mjodo says the programme is structured to provide essential skills to entrepreneurs such as leadership, management and entrepreneurial skills.
“It also focuses on compliance and growth matrix by identifying critical gaps within small businesses. This is an analytical approach designed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), ensuring they meet regulatory requirements, develop growth strategies and identify areas that need improvement for sustainable growth,” says Mjodo.
The final stage of the programme involves positioning small businesses to access funding, which is achieved through collaboration with Standard Bank and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA).
The program is designed as a multi-stage process, moving from skills development to addressing compliance issues and finally positioning businesses for funding opportunities. The collaboration with Standard Bank shows commitment to providing tangible support for the growth and sustainability of small businesses in the Metro.
“Standard Bank is proud to be associated with the Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme in conjunction with the Chamber and other stakeholders. There is an increasing need to inform and empower business owners with information that will enable and grow their businesses to the next level. We recognise that MSMEs are at the core in driving the South African economy and thereby creating employment. The programme is therefore an exciting initiative that seeks to address the key challenges faced by small businesses in areas of management, compliance, and information on how to access funding as well as other financial solutions to ensure business efficiency,” says Jonty Bouw, Head of Eastern Cape Enterprise Banking at Standard Bank.
Bouw further elaborates that the workshops will expose the entrepreneurs to their wealth management specialists who will elaborate on topics such as Succession Planning, Investment Management as well as Risk Management.
“MSME’s can also look forward to a free financial needs analysis including information on our Business Solar Loan offering, Thinkubate mentorship programme and Enterprise Development solutions,” he says.
Other programme partners include the South African Revenue Services (SARS), Joubert, Galpin and Searle (JGS), and SEFA.
Applications for the programme are now open and close on the 31 January 2024 and can be accessed sending an email to smme@nmbbusinesschamber.co.za