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Sentech, Raizcorp partnership targets SMEs

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 31 Aug 2015
Sentech's partnership with Raizcorp aims to effectively empower black-owned small businesses, says Rudzani Rasikhinya, acting CEO of Sentech.
Sentech's partnership with Raizcorp aims to effectively empower black-owned small businesses, says Rudzani Rasikhinya, acting CEO of Sentech.

Broadcasting signal distributor Sentech has rolled out its business growth programme and has partnered with business incubator Raizcorp.

The partnership aims to develop a business growth programme that will accelerate the success of Sentech's existing, as well as potential suppliers. According to Sentech, the business growth programme is two-fold, aiming to grow Sentech's existing supplier base, and attract new suppliers to form part of Sentech's supply chain.

Nine black-owned businesses have been selected to join Sentech's 12-month business growth programme, during which they will receive access to markets, finance institutions, back-office support, entrepreneurial learning, and business guidance from business guides (coaches).

Once these businesses have completed the programme, they will be incorporated back into Sentech's supply chain, to increase and strengthen Sentech's supplier pool.

Rudzani Rasikhinya, acting CEO of Sentech, says this partnership is a joint effort to grow SMEs as these are suppliers and enterprises Sentech works with.

She notes Sentech is providing the financial and mentoring support, and Raizcorp is addressing the practical issues around business support. This partnership is there to benefit SMEs in personal development, strategy and finance, she adds.

"Sentech's partnership with Raizcorp aims to effectively empower black-owned small businesses. This, in the long term, will assist us to deliver and exceed our BBBEE rating as a state-owned company," Rasikhinya says.

"Sentech and Raizcorp are committed to actively investing, nurturing, upskilling and developing our existing and potential suppliers. This is a key part of Sentech's approved enterprise and supplier development strategy."

"Raizcorp is proud to be partnering with Sentech on delivering this important programme which is focused on building the business and personal skills of small, black-owned businesses," says Alfie Naidoo, chairman of Raizcorp.

"Too often businesses fail, not because of a lack of funding but rather because business owners have the wrong business and mental models to be successful. We expect that the graduates of this programme will be in a much stronger position in creating wealth and growing our economy."

The nine black-owned businesses selected for the programme are:

1) Lebone Engineering
2) Nos Astra
3) Feleku Trading
4) Maebela Group
5) Leaping Kay Investments
6) Puleng Pulane Consultants
7) Akhiziwe Business Consultants
8) Mamellang Technologies
9) Nje Trading

Describing the challenges local SMEs are grappling with, Rasikhinya says SMEs lack the proper technical skills to participate in the core business in the ICT industry, among other industries.

"Cash flow issues also lead to SMEs being unsustainable - and this is where organisations like Sentech need to ensure our supply chain management processes are supportive of SMEs by ensuring we pay them for the services rendered on time."

To this end, she adds, Sentech has adopted a policy where SMEs are paid within 10 days of receipt of a valid invoice. Mentorship and entrepreneur guidance are also the latent areas that need critical focus, and this business growth programme helps to close these gaps by ensuring SMEs are empowered with the right tools to succeed, Rasikhinya points out.

She believes SMEs need to be in touch with the technological tools that are available to enhance their productivity and sustainability. "Every business needs to be accessible to as many customers as possible, and technology has proven to be a good tool to ensure business growth. State-owned entities are also now venturing into e-tendering and SMEs have to be equipped to source business through these means.

"Sentech operates in the ICT industry, so the SMEs we work with need to have the correct knowledge and skills to offer these ICT services to us," she concludes.

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