Sovuyiso Sewing Co-operative together with Mr Steyn – SAB District Manager , Jackie Gossman – The Hope Factory, Mr Whitfield – NMBM Portfolio Head, Mr Njobe – SAB, Mr Qaba – NMBM Executive Director.
As part of their commitment to supporting Enterprise Development throughout the country, South African Breweries (SAB) donated over R200 000 to the Sovuyiso Sewing Primary Co-operative (SSPC) for the purchase of new industrial sewing equipment and financial management training for the SSPC members.
The SSPC is part of an initiative by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s, Economic Development Unit and will be receiving support from The Hope Factory through their successful entrepreneurial development programme in the Nelson Bay Metro. The Hope Factory has over 12 years’ experience supporting transformation and business development. The Hope Factory is a Non-Profit, Enterprise and Supplier Development organisation that forms part of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (SAICA) nation building division which aims to address the high failure rate of entrepreneurial black businesses by providing budding entrepreneurs access to experienced business mentors and financial and industry experts.
The SSPC was established in 1998 and comprises of 15 members from the KwaZakhele Township who decided to pool their resources and form a Co-operative to market their products to the community, retailers and local businesses. With a product portfolio that includes tracksuits, uniforms, conference bags, t-shirts, etc. the SSPC found it increasingly difficult to meet growing demand for their products. SAB’s donation enabled the purchase of new industrial sewing equipment to the value of R178 296, and the R22 523 sponsorship of Financial Management and Record Keeping training by The Hope Factory for SSPC members that will empower the Co-operative to bolster their capability, capacity and sustainability, both operationally and financially.
“We are honoured to play a role in supporting The Hope Factory and the exceptional work they do in helping to grow enterprises such as the SSPC into successful businesses,” remarks SAB’s Corporate Affairs specialist, Pumlani Njobe. “At SAB we focus on sustainable development and job creation in order to make a meaningful contribution to society. We believe that a business is not separate from society and the long term interest of any company and the communities they serve are inextricably linked and depend on the success of each other.”
“We are privileged to partner with SAB in this Enterprise Development Programme which will help take the SSPC to the next level in terms of their business management, product offering and service to the community,” says Jackie Gossman, Senior Executive at the Hope Factory. “It is deeply rewarding to find a company such as SAB who shares our passion in driving transformation and stimulating entrepreneurship in our beautiful country.”
Article source: http://www.nmbbusinesschamber.co.za/blog/posts/south-african-breweries-lends-a-helping-hand-to-sovuyiso-sewing-primary-co-operative
