World Bank supports DLK`s SME Web site service

The World Bank Group, through its Africa Project Development Facility (APDF), has agreed to financially contribute to qualified small and medium enterprises` costs for their new Web sites to be developed by DLK Consulting.

This is part of a pilot project by DLK and APDF to demonstrate to smaller firms the benefits of having an Internet presence.

The APDF will pay about 30% of the R4 500 incurred by those firms that contract with DLK Consulting to provide a complete static Web site service. The package includes registration of domain name, a year`s hosting and populating seven Web page templates with relevant information.

APDF`s Business Development Advisor Rubin Japhta says joining DLK Consulting`s initiative "supports our mission of providing SMEs with services that they can afford and find useful".

Qualifying companies need to be viable private sector businesses with good profit prospects, employ between five and 500 people and be active in sectors such as agro-business, information technology, manufacturing and tourism.

DLK Consulting, which received consulting support from the APDF last year, has the expertise to provide the Web site package to SMEs.

DLK Consulting`s CEO Leon Hendricks says the specially priced static Web site package demonstrates his company`s commitment to helping smaller firms establish themselves in the business world.

"We are a young, growing company and appreciated the help we had from our peers in our formative years. This is our way of putting something back into the SME market."

SMEs wanting to learn more about DLK Consulting`s static Web site offer should call Tania Muller on (021) 531-9403.

APDF, which is managed by the International Finance Corporation under the World Bank Group, supports the development of competitive African small and medium enterprises with services that are needed and affordable, working mainly through local institutions and consultants.