How to run an Awesome Small Business: When is a plan not a plan?

The answer is when it is a business or financial plan.

Sometimes it’s hard to run a small business.  Where are all the good people to be found? Why are they so expensive when you do find them? Who to trust? Why aren’t you making any money again this month?  How on earth have you just lost that key customer?

A business plan, complete with sales projections and growth plans, is probably something you wrote in order to raise some bank money and you’ve not necessarily looked at it since.

A financial plan is something you might have created to pitch to investors somewhere along the way.  Maybe you’ve looked at and acted on it in small ways since.

Chances are that neither these plans, nor any others that you’ve created, are live working documents, because they are written looking forwards and they were mostly created to fulfil a particular need at a particular moment in time. Their value usually does not extend very far beyond meeting that need.

As a small business owner you need to think differently about your plans by creating and committing to a different sort of plan, a strategic, lived and acted-upon plan which will form the heart of your thinking. This plan must help you to:

  • Define your most valuable customers
  • Map sales by your products and services
  • Align forecasts to both existing and new customers
  • Establish real sales targets 
  • Work out exactly what activities, skills and systems you need.

Most small business owners fall into one of a few traps when it comes to business planning.

  • They don’t plan at all
  • They don’t know how to plan, so their plan does not cover the questions and actions that will improve their chances to succeed.
  • They plan but do not go back weekly, monthly, quarterly to check that what they are doing is in line with achieving their plans.

One of the easiest ways to make sure that you do not fall into these traps is to get a trusted advisor into your business management habits. This could be a friend or family member, but they are usually not completely honest because they believe it will spare your feelings.

The better way is to join a network of like-minded individuals, such as the Fourways Community Chamber (see them on Facebook) or mentoring groups, or to engage a business consultant or coach.  These advisors and networking groups should be selected on their ability to bring the right questions to the discussion, and their willingness to be honest with you to make sure you stay on track.

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

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Uganda keen to do business with SA

Monday, May 20, 2019

Ugandan business people are keen to conduct business with their South African counterparts.

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) is currently leading a business delegation on an Outward Trade and Investment Mission (OTIM) to the East African country.

Head of Regional Membership of the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Steven Kabagambe, said the chamber has been working with the dti to create awareness about the OTIM.

“The keenness of the local businesspeople to interact with their counterparts from South Africa is very high. We are looking forward to productive interactions between the south and the east. We are positive that sustainable business relationships, partnerships and linkages will be established during these interactions,” he said.

The mission kicked off in the capital of Kampala on Sunday.

He attributes the high interest in the trade mission by Ugandan businesspeople is due to the fact that South Africa is one of the biggest economies on the continent, adding that the mission presents a golden opportunity for trade and investment partnerships and collaborations.  

“As a chamber we are keen on establishing partnerships amongst businesspeople from various African countries in order to increase intra-Africa trade and investments. Networking opportunities presented by the mission are perfect platforms to achieve this objective.”

He added that businesspeople will be able to share information face-to-face on investment and trade opportunities that they can explore together in each other’s economies.

Kabagambe singled out agro-processing as a sector that is abound with both investment and trade opportunities for South African companies to explore. These include value addition in dairy, beef, poultry, fish, as well as skins and hides industries.

“In fact there are opportunities in the whole of the value chains of various industries here. For an example we require hatcheries, feeds and veterinary services in our poultry sector. The exporting of skins and hides has been banned in this country and this has opened up a whole lot of opportunities for the leather industry value-chain. Opportunities are also up for grabs in our timber, and oil and gas industries,” he said.

The mission is organised and funded by the dti through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (EMIA).

The objective of the scheme is to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment into the country. More than 1 000 companies were assisted through the scheme in the last financial year. The mission will conclude on Friday. – SAnews.gov.za

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

Motoring

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

Black Industrialists projects attract R13.2bn

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

The 131 projects that have been approved under the Black Industrialists
Scheme have resulted in increased investments and job creation.

“The approval of these 131 projects of black entrepreneurs has leveraged
over R13.2 billion of private-sector investment, about 9 500 new jobs created
and 8 900 retained in a wide range of manufacturing sub-sectors,” Trade and
Industry Minister Rob Davies said on Tuesday.

The Minister was responding to members of the Trade and Industry
Portfolio Committee on issues relating to his department that emanated from the
State of the Nation Address.

The Black Industrialists Scheme is the incentive programme of the Black
Industrialists Policy which aims to promote the participation of black
industrialists as manufacturers in key sectors of the economy as identified in
the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP).

Going forward, Davies said the dti will increase efforts of providing
financial, market access, capacity building and technical support to approved
Black Industrialists in collaboration with state-owned companies, other
government departments and the private sector.

Davies further announced that in 2018, 22 trade missions and 20 national
pavilions were undertaken across the world, where the dti supported companies
to showcase their products and services.

Over 800 enterprises were assisted and approximately R4 billion export
sales were recorded.

According to him, 15 National Pavilions are planned and 864 enterprises
are expected to be supported in 2019. 

With efforts to revitalise industrial parks to enable them to serve as
catalysts for broader economic and industrial development in their host regions
(townships and rural areas), Davies said R300 million has been approved for the
second phase of the industrial park’s revitalisation.

To date, six Industrial Parks have been launched and funded to the value
of R511 million and four will be ready to be launched this year.

The Industrial Parks Revitalisation Programme is one of the flagship
programmes of government aimed at facilitating broad-based economic
participation to achieve inclusive growth, as well as facilitating the
transformation of the economy.

The Minister further mentioned that 2019 will see the launch of Eastern
Cape, Limpopo, Northern Cape and the Free State InvestSA One Stop Shops, in
addition to the operational offices in Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the
Western Cape. 

These one-stop shops are critical to facilitating and increasing quality
investments into the economy, he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister announced that all contracts that were wrongly
issued for imports must be cancelled and re-issued according to localisation
regulations.

According to Davies, where the localisation regulations were applied,
there was an increase of investments and job creation, therefore as government,
he said they were not apologetic for applying localisations tools.

“It is therefore imperative not only to get the money back in some cases
but to cancel and re-issue contracts according to the localisation regulation.
We are pleased with the process of rectifying these import leakages as a result
of non-implementation and corruption of the programme,” said Davies.

Despite many challenges, the localisation programme faces, significant
investments, new capacity and capabilities have been created.

He said that collaborative platforms with global original equipment
manufacturer through inter alia technology and skills transfer programmes have
been realised, new products were developed and factories launched at the back
of rail localisation. – SAnews.gov.za

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

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DEPUTY MINISTER MAGWANISHE URGES SA AND TUNISIAN BUSINESSPEOPLE TO INCREASE TRADE

DEPUTY MINISTER MAGWANISHE URGES SA AND TUNISIAN BUSINESSPEOPLE TO INCREASE TRADE AND INVESTMENT The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Bulelani Magwanishe has urged South African and Tunisian businesspeople to work together in order to increase trade and investment between the two countries. Magwanishe was speaking at the South Africa-Tunisia Business Seminar that was hosted by the South African government in Tunis. The seminar was part of the Outward Trade and Investment Mission organised by the dti. The mission is funded through the department’s Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme. “The purpose of this mission is to facilitate interaction between South African and Tunisian companies with a view of establishing mutually beneficial commercial relations.  At the heart of this lies the bilateral trade and investment between the two countries, which are currently disconcertingly low. Our economic relations are characterised by a trade deficit. Trade between South Africa and Tunisia remains low despite growing from R431 million in 2011 to more than R500m in 2017,” said Magwanishe. He then challenged the businesspeople from SA and Tunisia to take advantage of the historically strong and cordial political relations between the two countries to collaborate and partner to increase the levels and volumes of bilateral trade and investments. “This mission serves as an opportunity to strengthen trade relations. The pursuit of the above underscores our commitment to build dynamic economic relations.  We hope that this mission will provide South African companies with a platform to introduce their products into the Tunisian market, and to also serve as a gateway to North Africa. It is also an opportunity for the Tunisians to introduce their products and services to the South African companies and share ideas on investment opportunities that they can jointly take advantage of in South Africa. Additionally, the mission combines our efforts towards job creation, alleviating poverty and eradicating inequality,” added Magwanishe. He said the mission was also aimed at   advancing South Africa’s objectives of intra-Africa trade and regional integration in the continent. ” As South Africa, we remain resolute in fostering closer trade and investment ties with other countries in the continent to yield mutually beneficial economic outcomes. South Africa has always insisted on building developmental and mutually beneficial partnerships with the rest of Africa. We equally appreciate that sustainable growth and development can only be achieved through dynamic partnerships with the private sector. For instance, extensive collaboration between the public and the private sectors can yield infrastructure that is critical for the ease of business,” stressed Magwanishe He added that the private sector was equally pivotal in strengthening the manufacturing sector and producing an industrial economy. “This is a clarion call for both South Africa and Tunisia to forge ahead and strengthen our economic ties.  Therefore, the historical bonds that tie us must translate into tangible economic outcomes. Our bilateral relations will have deeper significance when we grow closer trading relations and build confidence to trade with each other,” concluded Magwanishe  Enquiries: Sidwell Medupe-Departmental Spokesperson Tel: (012) 394 1650 Mobile: 079 492 1774 E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za Issued by: The Department of Trade and Industry Follow us on Twitter: @the_dti

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

M&C Saatchi Abel Gives Light to New Nelson Mandela Bay Precinct  

M&C Saatchi Abel have led a consortium that has won a bid to design a new precinct for Nelson Mandela Bay to honour Madiba’s contribution to South Africa, as well as elevate the city’s status as a hub for socio-economic transformation, tourism and employment opportunities. The city hosted a competition open to all South Africans to submit their ideas, but it was the Nelson Mandela Bay Tower of Light concept that ultimately won. The monumental Nelson Mandela Bay Tower of Light is a 27-storey high interactive museum, with every storey marking each year that Nelson Mandela spent in prison. It will take visitors on a multisensory journey through the life and times of Nelson Mandela, culminating in a reflective tower on the top floor that includes a chrome statue of Madiba. M&C Saatchi SA Group CEO and Nelson Mandela Bay native, Mike Abel, shares: “Throughout my career I have had one quote on my wall ‘The people with the best people win’ from Jerry Welsh. The M&C Saatchi Abel team, together with prominent P.E. businessman Khusta Jack and leading architectural firms Makeka Design Lab and Scott + Partners delivered a winning concept that encapsulates the spirit of Madiba.” He continues: “This was a project very close to my heart and I am incredibly excited about the concept we’ve produced, which is a landmark that I believe has the potential to rejuvenate the city – and will boost the local economy. It imbues the city with the indomitable spirit of Madiba and all he stood for – to achieve greatness through kindness.” Speaking further on the project, Chief Creative Officer for the M&C Saatchi Group, Neo Mashigo, says: “There is no better feeling than knowing you’re part of something that aims to make the world a better place. This is something bigger than we’ve ever done, something that the world can identify with and a space that could be shared by all.” M&C Saatchi Abel, together with the rest of the winning team, will now work with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to prepare the rollout of the project. For more information and to get a glimpse of what the Nelson Mandela Bay Tower of Light will look like, visit http://www.mcsaatchiabel.co.za/work/african_icon.

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

Rusty Labuschagne – A motivational speaker and life coach

Rusty Labuschagne – A motivational speaker and life coach who is changing mindsets across all divisions. He has learnt to find “Victory over Injustice”. Rusty experienced 10 harrowing years under horrendous conditions in Zimbabwe’s prisons. In 2003, the successful self-made businessman, who flew his own aircraft and had a fishing resort on Lake Kariba, was wrongfully convicted of drowning a poacher. He was subjected to conditions most people would find unendurable, having to dig really deep within himself to find solutions to an unbearable situation, as an innocent man. His resilience, positive mental attitude, lessons in forgiveness, gratitude and humility are an unparalleled inspiration. Rusty says “Injustice is experienced across every division – race, religion, gender, job promotions, family disputes, salary increments, social media slander, customer service, you name it. The human being is tough, we can withstand enormous hardships – shipwrecked for 48 days, bobbing in the ocean for 19 hours, unthinkable prison conditions for years; but it is how you get through there mentally that matters. Life lessons I learnt in remaining victorious over his adversities were;” The Importance of a Positive Metal Attitude. I learnt not to let past thoughts hurt me, the past only exists in your head. To be able to see positives in all the negatives going on around me, brought hope, which was a huge part of getting through prison life. Whenever we think, feel and see, our mind generates a signal that affects every cell in our bodies. About 750 trillion cells. Thinking is 98% of that signal. So, what you think actually affects every cell in your body and brain, physically. Research shows that 75-95% of illnesses come from our thought life and we have an average of 30,000 thoughts a day. So, thoughts play a massive role in diseases in our bodies. By the same token it can be just the opposite, when you are thinking correct thoughts you generate very healthy signals, that affect your blood chemistry and build more healthy cells. So, our thoughts create who we are, physically, and it was my happy thought life, even though it had to be a fantasy, that kept me healthy and sane in there. The power of positive thinking. The Power of Forgiveness The humiliation of being labeled a murderer and terrible conditions, were extremely hard to deal with. As was the pain of my bitterness, anger, hatred, frustration and revenge, for what they’d done and were doing to me. It was eating away at me every day, more than the lice ever could. I hated them bitterly, and initially would lie there for hours wishing every terrible thing on each of them in turn, the poacher, the police, the judge, the ministry, and all who were involved in my conviction. Then one day, I was struck by the realisation that they’d all forgotten about me long ago. Here I was, consumed by the unfairness of it all, and they, blissfully unaware of the evil I wished on them every day. In the end, I was only hurting myself. I was carrying all that in my head and beating myself up for nothing. The single biggest lesson I learnt in prison, was true forgiveness. I now know what Nelson Mandela meant by forgiveness. And for me it was bigger than anything I could achieve on my own. True forgiveness was inspired by God Almighty, and so was letting go. It was a huge weight off my shoulders, and I learnt to live in the moment from then on. The past was too painful and the future full of unkept promises, so I just dealt with each day as it was. I learnt to have faith because no amount of worrying was going to change what I was going through. If you have anger or resentment towards anyone, in any way, it will eventually destroy you, because that is what those emotions do. They steal from you. They steal happiness and freedom. Many people ask me “HOW” I managed to forgive them for what they did to me. One day after about a year, I’d had enough of all the anger, hatred and bitterness. It was draining me daily and I remember the exact words I said to myself walking in the prison exercise-yard, I just said “Let the Lord take care of them and let me get through this road that’s been put in front of me. Life is a circle and what goes around comes around. They’ll get what they deserve.” And once I’d accepted that, and pushed those stresses aside, life in prison changed for me. It’s about handing over issues you can’t undo and moving forward. These small negative angry thoughts kept returning and I’d push them away until I had finally, forgiven them wholeheartedly. You can look at it in 2 ways – you can FORGIVE, FORGET and move FORWARD, or you can – RETAIN, REMEMBER and REGRET. The choice is yours. And if you say “I’ll forgive but I’ll never forget”, then you still remember and will never move forward. You can’t bounce back from anything if you don’t forgive those who you believe have done you wrong, only when you forgive and let go of the past, can you be fully free to move forward with your full potential. The Value in Gratitude We all WANT too much in our lives, concentrating on what we haven’t got instead of being grateful for what we have. For me, giving thanks every day, goes a long way – for my health, a loving family, a beautiful home, a soft bed, running water, and so on. When there is no food, no water and people are dying all around you, you become grateful for the fact that you are still breathing and another day is a blessing. When you lie in a cell with 78 other people and your breath is not even your own, gratitude suddenly has a different meaning altogether. Gratitude opens up the motivation, reward and connection centers of the brain which make us more receptive to new possibilities and give us a deeper level of meaning and purpose. Think about that for a minute. When we wake up feeling grateful about who we are, what we have and what we’ve achieved in our lives, it’s uplifting and invigorating, it motivates us to go out there and reach for greater things. Gratitude Gratitude also opens up the reward and connection centers of the brain. The reward centers of our brain are also known as the pleasure centers and are what give us a feeling of wellbeing and make us want to do that thing again. When we stimulate our reward circuits in a healthy way, with laughter, play, sex, creativity, we release endorphins and neurochemicals that can regulate emotion, decrease pain and increase trust and connection. All these emotions affect how we communicate and form relationships. The healthiest of all human emotions is gratitude, remember that, and practice it. Having an attitude of gratitude is one of the most impactful habits for a fulfilling and healthy life. A compelling and passionate speaker, Rusty’s message to audiences is that everyone is faced with challenges, but it is who you are and the depth of your determination, that will get you through life’s darkest moments. He shows how one can harness one’s inner strength and let go of what one cannot control. He brings a personal, transformative, authentic message of hope and positivity to any gathering. To book Rusty for your next conference or event, call Unique Speaker Bureau on 011 465 44100

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

AfDP and AIF attract Private Sector Investment into Africa

Dumani Moyo African Development Bank (AfDB) is working with leading global development finance institutions to facilitate investments that could transform the continent under Africa Investment Forum (AIF). As a way of raising AIF awareness, on 24 July, a business session was held in Sandton, where various business analysts and other stakeholders also discussed how to attract Private Sector Investment into Africa. Speaking during the event, the AfDB Deputy General, Southern Africa Region, Josephine Ngure said the session was also to enable a broader understanding of the key roles that governments and multilateral institutions can play in accelerating Africa’s investment opportunities. “The African Development Bank is doing its best to position the AIF as a platform to improve the flow of business in Africa,” she said. “The aim is to advance and promote friendly policy reforms and regulations to elevate business practices in Africa.” However, Ngure warned that there will be a disconnect between the public and private sectors if governments continue to remain focused on driving policy, while having a limited understanding of the private sector’s requirements. She added that the AIF will be officially launched during the event to be held from 7 to 9 November 2018. She said the AIF will deliberately bring together investors, high quality projects and investment opportunities to strike deals among private sector participants and government and bring them forward. The CEO of Pan African chamber of Commerce, Johnny Muteba, challenged Africans to rise to the occasion and get themselves ready in order to attract investors. “As Africans, we need to believe in ourselves and take business serious,” he said. “We need to understand and drive our own agendas. We also need to communicate the innovative

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

Minister Molelwa returns from the g7 leaders summit focusing on oceans

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, returned today, Tuesday, 12 June 2018, from Canada where she accompanied President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the G7 Leaders’ Summit Outreach.   The summit’s theme: “Healthy, Productive and Resilient Oceans and Seas, Coasts and Communities,” addresses many of the opportunities and challenges that are the focus of South Africa’s Operation Phakisa: oceans economy. This programme seeks to unlock the economic potential of South Africa’s oceans, growing the GDP and creating jobs, while also ensuring healthy, productive and resilient ocean resources.   Minister Molewa accompanied President Ramaphosa and a business delegation from South Africa. President Ramaphosa’s participation in the G7 Leaders’ Summit Outreach coincides with his drive to attract investment to grow the economy, create jobs and address poverty and inequality in South Africa.   The focus of the G7 Outreach meeting on Healthy, Productive and Resilient Oceans and Seas, Coasts and Communities, is in line with the goals outlined in South Africa’s National Development Plan and speaks to the country’s efforts to stimulate economic growth and job creation by, amongst others, unlocking the oceans economy through Operation Phakisa.   The six growth areas, with lead departments in each area, have been prioritised to contribute to unlocking the economic potential of South Africa’s oceans, based on their potential contribution to economic growth and job-creation, namely:  
  • Marine Transport and Manufacturing led by the Department of Transport;
  • Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration led by the Department of Mineral Resources;
  • Aquaculture led by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries;
  • Marine Protection Services and Ocean Governance led by the Department of Environmental Affairs;
  • Small Harbours Development led by the Department of Public Works (three feet planning mini- Lab to commence in 2018); and
  • Coastal and Marine Tourism led by the Department of Tourism.
  As the world grapples with intractable challenges such as poverty, economic growth, food security and high unemployment rates, the oceans have increasingly come under the spotlight as countries seek economic opportunities in the ocean space to address some of these challenges.   At the same time, there is increasing recognition that the world’s oceans are under severe pressure, especially from human activities. Some of the critical challenges include: –          Marine pollution, in particular plastics (whether land-based or from shipping) and micro plastics; –          Loss of biodiversity; –          Unsustainable fishing practices and overfishing; –          Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing; –          Ocean acidification;  and –          Mining.   The key challenge therefore is to build and implement programmes that harness the productive potential of ocean resources in a manner that is sustainable. Key to this is the establishment of strong governance and institutional arrangements that facilitate orderly spatial planning and co-ordination of activities within the ocean.   South Africa’s Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Bill, provides a framework for coordinated planning across multiple sectors, ensuring orderly use of the sea space and addressing competing uses, especially in sensitive and vulnerable areas of the environment.  The consultations and Public Hearings have been concluded and it is going through the Parliamentary process.   The associated Marine Spatial Planning Framework had been finalised and the development of regional and sub-regional Marine Spatial Management Plans has since been initiated on the South Coast as the first planning area.  Valuable research is being undertaken to inform such management plans.     Thus far, the oceans economy has secured investments of about R26.3 billion and created 6 633 jobs since October 2014, mainly in infrastructure development – especially ports, marine manufacturing – mainly boatbuilding, aquaculture, as well scientific and seismic surveys in the oil and gas sector. The empowerment of women, the youth and small, medium and micro enterprises remain a focus in the implementation of initiatives within the oceans economy.   Some of the highlights include the development of a National Guideline towards the Establishment of Coastal Management Lines. This is intended to minimise risks posed by short and long term coastal processes such as storm surges, erosion and sea level rise.   A National Coastal Access Strategy is also under development to provide guidance around access for the public to closed-off beaches. In addition, a review of the strategic plan on dealing with estuaries and a national status quo assessment are being conducted.     For media enquiries contact Zolile Nqayi on 083 898 6483 / znqayi@environment.gov.za   ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS  

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

Designed by Nsabasi Publishing©2020

Gauteng enterprise propeller to hand-over automotive equipment to 30 SMMEs

Johannesburg – On Friday, 08 June 2018, the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) will officially hand over automotive equipment to 30 SMMEs who were incubated at the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) in Pretoria /Tshwane.   Informal Body repairers (famously known as Backyard Mechanics in the Townships) and Mechanical repairers (SMMEs) possess inadequate or outdated technical knowledge and skills which are not relevant to the current methodologies implemented in the automotive sector. This poses a risk to the success of their businesses and limits opportunities for them to participate in the automotive market space. It is in this spirit that GEP selected 75 SMMEs and incubated them for a period of 1 year starting 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. The incubation program provided the SMME’s with the necessary support that enabled the entrepreneurs to manage their businesses more efficiently and professionally. 20 SMMEs did pre-trade test assessment utilising National Artisan Moderation Body (NAMB) Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) tool kits, 25 business owners were capacitated with the right skills through technical training of their staff and lastly 30 SMMEs will be given necessary equipment support that will enable them to run profitable and vibrant business. The SMMEs were also afforded an opportunity to register with the South African Motor Body Repairer Association (SAMBRA).   Of the 75 SMMEs, GEP will be handing over equipment to 30 SMMEs as part of GEP non-financial support programme. The SMMEs selected were within the Panel beating, Spray painting and Automotive repairs space. The equipment to be handed out will be diagnostic machines, mechanical tools, spray painting kits, jet trolley compressors and lifting hosts (Engine lifters).  It is projected that these 30 SMMEs will be able to employ minimum of one person, thus contributing to job creation in the province of Gauteng.   The details of the event are as follows: DATE: Friday, 08 June 2018 TIME: 07H30 for 08H00 VENUE: Gauteng Automotive Learning Centre; 99 Hendrik van Eck, Rosslyn, Tshwane   Members of the media are hereby invited to attend and report.  To RSVP kindly email: pzitha@gep.co.za   For media enquiries, contact: Thenjiwe Dube tdube@gep.co.za 0605645126   Follow us on Twitter: @GautengDED   Like our Facebook page: Gauteng Department of Economic Development            Issued by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development www.gauteng.gov.za

About Us

The Northern Business Review is a business community newspaper that provides a platform for businesses to market their products and services, as well as build their brand, but equally important the publication provides information, advice and topics of interest, including business, entrepreneurial, economic reviews and simple ideas to grow your business. The publication has a primary objective to “uniquely” represent businesses to a wide audience across the community as well as provide a media platform of business articles and information that affect, influence and uplift the business environment within our defined geographical and cultural community.

@NsabasiNBR

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African Phoenix appoints financial director

The board of African Phoenix is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Shafiek Ahmed Rawoot as Financial Director effective 1 July 2018. Shafiek graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Business Science (Finance Honours) in 2001 and from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Honours) in 2002. He commenced with his articles at KPMG (Cape Town) in 2003 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2006. After working for Old Mutual (Cape Town) in 2006, Shafiek joined Goldman Sachs International (London) as a Senior Analyst in 2007. Shafiek joins Phoenix from Brait South Africa (Johannesburg), where he has been part of the finance team since 2008. The Board welcomes Shafiek and looks forward to his contribution to the Company.

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