Matjhabeng hosts third business seminar

The SMME seminar helps small business people with networking, marketing and fundraising skills

Notable growth has been seen in terms of both starting and expanding businesses in the Lejweleputswa region since the first business seminar was held in September last year.

This is according to information officer of the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) branch in the region, Mpho Gantsa.

Seda, in collaboration with the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, Harmony Gold Mine, Goldfields Mall, Pro-Communications, Absa, Sedibeng Water, Goldfields Chamber of Business and Nedbank held the third business seminar last week.

Gantsa noted that business owners have more confidence and knowledge of expanding their businesses from small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) to profitable ventures.

“This seminar focused on funding. This time we divided the seminar into two days because we have decided to use the first day to focus only on starting a business; where they can receive funding from and what they need to qualify. The second day was used to focus on expanding business and how they can grow their businesses successfully,” she explained.

Each seminar has a different theme and focal point; the first seminar’s theme was ‘after gold then what?’ which aimed was empowering business people in the Goldfields to diversify their businesses following the closure of several mines in the area. The second seminar’s theme was ‘opportunities galore’, which pointed out opportunities for SMME’s to grow.

Kingsley Lempe, the owner of Vukazenzela Development, said he has been a part of all three seminars and they have been of great help in getting his business off the ground and putting it on the map.

“Vukazenzela Cleaners trains and develops young people in the cleaning industry. We clean everything from offices, to homes and premises. Our biggest challenge was getting in touch with the right people for funding, in order to market ourselves and let people know where to find us.”

He said the seminars helped him network with relevant people.

“Today we have a strategy that we follow with regard to advertising, and we also know who is in need of our services and where to get hold of them,” he added.

The provincial manager of Seda, Jackie Ntshingila, said this initiative will definitely have a huge positive impact on the economy of the Free State.

“It is always a positive collaboration when government entities and business people in a community come together in order to share information on how to create beneficial living conditions for both parties,” said Ntshingila.

Ntshingila urged small business owners to network with their peers in order to spot opportunities in the market.

“This initiative shows that together we can make a difference, but also teaches people to be responsible for themselves. Knowledge is power, and nobody can ever take knowledge away from you. If you take what you need from everything that is being presented in these seminars, I believe that every business represented here has an opportunity to excel.”