The first phase of an exciting business skills development programme has kicked off in Parys, welcoming nearly 40 local entrepreneurs. The majority of participants are start-up business owners, many of whom are receiving this formal business training for the first time. Through capacity building and compliance workshops, they are gaining practical knowledge and tools to strengthen their businesses and improve their competitiveness. More in-depth training is planned for the programme’s second phase, scheduled to take place later this year.
“For me, the biggest lesson was learning about costing, as it’s essential to the success of my business. We also learned about mentorship, collaboration and bookkeeping, which will help us run our businesses better. The training showed us the importance of being accountable as business owners, as well as providing us with knowledge about the laws and regulations that govern our businesses,” shared Nelly Komape, a local environmental entrepreneur and small business owner.
The need for this training was identified by Damlaagte Solar, funders of the programme, through interaction with suppliers and local SMMEs, which revealed common challenges including a lack of compliance documentation and limited understanding of essential business practices. By addressing these gaps, the programme is strengthening the competitiveness of local entrepreneurs and preparing them to access opportunities across the renewable energy, government and private sectors, including those linked to the solar facility’s operational phase later this year.
“The compliance, tendering and procurement topics that we covered in our first workshop generated a lot of interaction from the participants. Particularly because the entrepreneurs mentioned it was their first time receiving information of that nature. The training opened their eyes to the real business world,” shared Keatlaretse Senoamere, Social Specialist at Damlaagte Solar.
Held over two days at the Parys SMME Hub, this introductory training forms part of the solar facility’s broader supplier and enterprise development strategy. A follow-up programme is planned for later this year, which will provide a more in-depth focus on procurement, tendering processes and business development topics, building on the foundations established during this initial training intervention.
“We aim to create long-term benefits for the local businesses we support as well as the broader economy. By strengthening compliance and commercial skills, we hope to help build stronger entrepreneurs, more competitive businesses and more resilient communities that are better equipped to participate in future economic opportunities,” concluded Senoamere.
