The Cacadu Municipality has allocated about R1 million towards interventions aimed at boosting the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) in the region.
The allocation which was announced during mayoral forum recently would see the development of the first district-wide SMME development strategy and rollout plan.
Three Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) satellite offices will also be established in the district.
The concurrent rollout of these interventions will assist all stakeholders involved in, and with interest in SMMEs in Cacadu, says the municipality's Economic Development Director, Mickey Mama.
She explained that the SMME strategy will determine the status quo and SMME dynamics which will then inform what needs to be done in order to stimulate growth of SMMEs in a sustainable manner.
The municipality said Contrain, a local expert in SMMEs, has been commissioned to develop a holistic plan for SMME development in the district, while SEDA is in full motion with the establishment of offices in Humansdorp, Graaff-Reinet and Grahamstown.
Ms Mama explained that Contrain, growth sectors already identified by the CDM - agriculture, manufacturing and tourism - as well as opportunities in emerging industries such as the fibre beneficiation and agro-processing must be evaluated as viable prospects for SMMEs.
"We are also keen to see how we, as a district, can leverage from the strong linkages and economic cooperation between areas and industries in Cacadu and Nelson Mandela Bay," said Ms Mama.
To illustrate the regional link with Nelson Mandela Bay, she pointed to how establishments in the tourism sector can stand to benefit from the anticipated influx of visitors to the 2010 FIFA World Cup host city, Nelson Mandela Bay.
Further, according to the municipality, SEDA was among the signatories of the Cacadu district's growth and development strategy agreement, which was adopted in 2007 by the district municipality and all nine local municipalities and other stakeholders in government, business and labour.
These signatories made a commitment to provide resources towards interventions aimed at boosting the economy of the district, of which the SMME development strategy and SEDA offices were identified as key elements.
"The three satellite offices will work together with local economic development [LED] units in all nine municipalities in the Cacadu district," said SEDA Provincial Manager of in the province, Luzuko Dibi.
This working relationship, he said, is aimed at ensuring that all potential local entrepreneurs throughout the district requiring SEDA services receive support.
Published by allAfrica.com
Cacadu gives R1, 5m to help establish factory
THE Cacadu District Municipality has contributed R1, 5-million towards the establishment of a no-waste Agave Americana factory in Graaff-Reinet.
To date the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has invested about R6,7-million in Agave Americana research nationally and recently approved R12-million for up-scaling and incubating technologies for the production of inulin, fibres and textiles and paper-making from the Agave Americana in Graaff-Reinet.
The duration of the multi-disciplinary project, which is currently in the trial stage, is three years.
In South Africa, the Agave Americana (AA) plant is growing widely in the Great Karoo region of the Eastern Cape as well as in Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The plant is currently used for the production of alcoholic beverages, similar to tequila, by fermentation of the heart (pina) of the plant, chiefly for export purposes.
The viability of an alcoholic beverage based industry can be improved, if the bulk of the plant is also used. The pina waste left after juice extraction is used as compost.
Published by The Herald on 17/06/08
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