A strategic partnership between Makana Municipality, the National Arts Festival and Rhodes Investec Business School (RIBS), has allowed local small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) the opportunity to benefit from economic opportunities during the Festival.
A strategic partnership between Makana Municipality, the National Arts Festival and Rhodes Investec Business School (RIBS), has allowed local small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) the opportunity to benefit from economic opportunities during the Festival.
Twelve proposals from SMMEs who were interested in this opportunity were received two months ago and were considered by a panel composed of RIBS, Makana Municipality, and the National Arts Festival office.
The proposals were presented to the Economic Development, Tourism and Heritage (EDTH) portfolio committee.
Six SMMEs were then selected to attend a training course at RIBS in running and sustaining a business and after the workshop they had to submit business plans.
According to Local Economic Development Director Riana Meiring, four SMMEs have been selected on the strength of their submitted business plans in order to continue trading.
The municipality contributed R10 000 to the seed funding for the selected SMMEs and the NAF contributed a further R20 000.
The National Arts Festival will play a role in endorsing the businesses and marketing them during Festival time. They will also promote linkages for SMMEs at other festivals.
According to the progress report, “a follow up briefing session will be held after the Festival to provide feed-back to all SMMEs, as well as creating a platform for learning from the SMMEs that were given the opportunity to start a business during Festival”.
Meiring said that the project would assist in retaining some of the income from the Festival within the Makana area.
National Arts Festival CEO, Tony Lankester, agreed with Meiring and added that “local entrepreneurs would be provided with the boost that they need”.
He said that their services will also enhance Festival experiences by providing a range of goods and services to Festival visitors.
He added that the core winners have great ideas and have been provided with seed money of R5 000 each.
The entrepreneurs are: Nomkitha Gysman who is running a kiosk at a Rhodes residence; Nombulelo Mgxoteni
will come to the rescue with a cellphone charging station at Village Green; Primrose Sobahle has taken an environmentally friendly business approach and is renting out bicycles on the corner of Somerset and Prince Alfred Street and Khuthala Gabavana will be selling on-the-go food at Scout’s Hall, from pies to muffins as well as curry and rice, samp and beans and beef stew which has to be booked beforehand.
Gabavana, who is in the catering business, said food was the ideal business to go into during the Festival as people are away from home and would appreciate a hearty plate of home cooked-food.
