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Google to train SME owners in SA

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins, ITWeb digital and innovation contributor.
Johannesburg, 28 Jul 2016
Google will host workshops for small business owners who are part of the Shanduka Black Umbrellas incubation programme.
Google will host workshops for small business owners who are part of the Shanduka Black Umbrellas incubation programme.

Small business owners that are part of incubator Shanduka Black Umbrellas will receive a free business management and training programme from Google, as part of a new partnership called Siyandiza.

Shanduka Black Umbrellas has eight incubators across the country and is building a ninth in rural Limpopo. It targets fully black-owned South African businesses and entrepreneurs.

The partnership with Google will see the tech company share its knowledge with SMEs through a series of seven workshops. These will cover how to build successful teams, brand building and positioning, as well as managing client relationships.

Google Internet-related services and products such as Google Analytics will be included in the training.

The workshops will be three hours long each and hosted at Google SA's offices in Bryanston.

Mich Atagana, head of communications and public affairs at Google SA, said during a panel discussion at the launch of the programme yesterday that being able to use technology and the Internet is imperative for all small businesses.

"If a customer cannot find a business online, then they don't trust the business," she said, saying there is even distrust with simple businesses like laundry services or drycleaners not having a Web site.

The Siyandiza project aims to get owners comfortable with using the Internet for business as well as share research Google has done internally on best management practice.

The first series of courses will take place over six months and around 65 SME owners from the Johannesburg and Pretoria Shanduka Black Umbrellas incubation centres will participate.

Shanduka CEO Seapei Mafoyane says this will be a pilot project and the incubator hopes to take the course to all the other centres across the country.

There are over 400 small businesses in the country-wide incubation project.

Atagana says SMEs are the backbone of the economy and empowering even one has a huge knock-on effect.

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