The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has appointed Lunga Mjodo as the SMME and Entrepreneurship Desk Coordinator, in line with its drive to strengthen and grow this important sector of the economy.
His appointment comes at the same time which the Chamber has launched an SMME and Entrepreneurship Desk to serve as a single point of contact in providing advisory and support services to members.
“The Chamber adopted a new strategic plan towards the end of last year and aligned to this we have embraced the empowering of small businesses as a key priority. This has led to the establishment of the Desk and the need to resource it in order to provide tangible and value adding services to members,” said Denise van Huyssteen, CEO of the Chamber. “We are therefore pleased that we were able to appoint a candidate into the role, that not only has the requisite skills, but also understands the strategic role of the SMME sector as a primary driver of job creation in our local economy. Mjodo will play an instrumental role in activating the Desk, while at the same time ensuring that the services are optimally utilised by members.”
Between 2020 – 2022, Mjodo worked as a Senior Business Advisor and Business Development Manager for Global Leadership Consultants, focusing on business consultancy; the formulation of business plans and proposals; feasibility studies; client engagement; sourcing new business; training and workshop facilitation; mentoring and coaching. He also worked as a Service Consultant for Discovery Vitality, including a stint as an intern in the Department of Public Works’ EPWP programme. His work experience demonstrates a strong passion for enterprise and research development, and local economic development.
He will be reporting to the Chamber’s Chief Operations Officer Prince Matonsi to help drive the strategic role of the SMME and Entrepreneurship Desk, The Desk facilitates the creation of an enabling environment for the SMME sector and also provides support by unblocking blockages within the SMME ecosystem.
Mjodo holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship, a B Tech in Management Sciences and a National Diploma in Management Sciences from Nelson Mandela University.
