Province-wide Business Skills Course Starts in Cape Town

 Emerging entrepreneurs from across Cape Town will start an accredited business skills programme tomorrow (11 July 2016). Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said business owners would start the two-day programme at CapeNature’s Driftsands nature reserve.

Minister Winde and ABSA launched the second phase of the province’s Emerging Business Support Programme at the Century City Convention Centre last month.

The course, which will be presented ABSA facilitators, will cover Business Strategy Development, Operations Strategy Development and Financial Literacy Development.

One thousand small and medium sized businesses will be given an opportunity to complete the Emerging Business Support programme over the next six months.

The programme will be offered to entrepreneurs across the province. The Cape Town sessions start tomorrow and end in November. This month, the Overberg programme also starts and runs until November.

The programme in the Cape Winelands kicks off in September and in November along the West Coast. Entrepreneurs in the Eden region can attend sessions in November and December. The programme ends in the Karoo in January next year.

Venues for programme in these regions will be announced shortly.

Minister Winde encouraged entrepreneurs to attend.

“Entrepreneurs help to take our economy forward, employing around 500 000 people in the Western Cape. That is why in this financial year, our Integrated Economic Development Services programme is allocating over R40 million to interventions such as the Emerging Business Support Programme. Through this initiative, we are seeking to give entrepreneurs the support they need to grow. It’s excellent to have private sector partners such as ABSA who are investing in small businesses and job creation.”

To participate in the programme businesses, should:

·         Be registered and operational;

·         Be operating within the Western Cape;

·         Have a valid BEE certificate

Once selected, business owners are expected to attend both days.

Please see the application form attached. For more information, business owners can contact Gordon Sharman on 021 816 4123 or Odette Daries on 021 483 9114.