At the heart of the Tsitsikamma community in the Eastern Cape, The Hope Factory team witnessed a remarkable partnership, that has transformed the entrepreneurial landscape within the chemical industry in the area. CHIETA and, Cennergi through the Tsitsikamma Wind Farm Community Trust appointed The Hope Factory to implement a Small Business Support Programme, for a period of 12 months which started in October 2023.
The Hope Factory kicked off the process of recruiting 10 SMME’s from an overwhelming application list of young aspiring entrepreneurs, who were eager to empower themselves to be successful entrepreneurs and business owners for the future. We are pleased to confirm that at the end of the programme, all 10 SMME’s graduated with the ability to manufacture their own detergents, household chemicals, perfumes and generate business income.
The programme consisted of an accredited short skills programme which covered the following modules: Managing Marketing and Selling Processes, Manage Business Operations, 6 non accredited financial workshops, which assisted the SMMEs to gain skills and improve their ability to manage the business finances.
There have been some impressive achievements from some of the entrepreneur participants, such as Ali Majoro who received an award for the best income performer and was able to utilise knowledge provided during the programme successfully. We are also proud to have Nomakhaya Mzuzo as a graduate, who participated in a pitch for funding competition and won it. Bradwell Petersen is in the process of establishing he’s own warehouse to manufacture his products and sell in bulk to established businesses in the Tsitsikamma area.
At the beginning of the programme, only two 2 participants main source of income was business income; but through The Hope Factory’s interventions of the Small Business Support Programme with CHIETA and Cennergi, all 10 SMME’s can now make their main income from their new businesses. The 10 SMME participants who started the programme with no knowledge about the chemical industry and had no experience to trade chemicals, can now actively trade in various parts of the Tsitsikamma area, including Gqeberha, East London and Western Cape.
All SMME participants can legitimately explore the retail industry with their newly branded products and better their chances of getting funding through SEDA (Small Enterprise Development Agency) and Chemin who are both strategic collaboration partners for the project. On the 31st of October, we celebrated their successful completion of the programme and the results they have achieved with a graduation ceremony. The 10 SMME’s deserved the recognition and the special event to congratulate their efforts as they embark on this exciting new journey.
The effort between The Hope Factory, CHIETA and Cennergi, through the Tsitsikamma Wind Farm Community Trust is a testament of the commitment to community development, entrepreneurship, and societal upliftment. The Hope Factory values this relationship and partnership in such projects, as together we can continue to create a positive impact.
Corporate South Africa can support The Hope Factory in their mission to ignite unemployed youth to become active community members that will move them out of a place of poverty, through The Hope Factory’s Socio-Economic Development and Skills Development initiatives.
The Hope Factory (THF) implements Socio-Economic and Skills Development Programmes as well as customised projects, that result in mobilising economic activity for unemployed Black South African citizens (as defined by the B-BBEE codes).