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Sasol Enterprise Supplier Development
Posted by Daniel Makhura on 8 June 2017 8:30 AM SAST
Information about how Sasol contribute to the SMME sector.
The development of entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways of stimulating economic growth, transformation and the creation of jobs in our communities. We recognise that a growing small, medium and micro-sized enterprise (SMME) sector is vital for broadening economic participation and delivering on our country’s economic development objectives.
Sasol’s Enterprise and Supplier Development function was established to ensure focused and integrated delivery of Sasol’s programmes aimed at contributing to the development of the SMME sector and the diversification of our supplier pool.
Our approach to enterprise and supplier development is to nurture, grow and sustain SMMEs by providing technical and business development support, through mentoring and coaching. In addition we provide loan funding to our qualifying SMME suppliers through the Sasol Siyakha Enterprise and Supplier Development Fund (“Sasol Siyakha Fund”).
Through our R53 million Sasol Business Incubator facility which was developed in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, located in Sasolburg, we provide start up SMMEs with business development support, funding solutions, infrastructure and offices.
The Sasol Business Incubator (SBI) is located at the Eco-industrial Park in the industrial heart of Sasolburg and was developed through a public-private partnership between Sasol and the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) to accelerate the successful development primarily of local start-up small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The objective is to promote the sustainability of start-up SMMEs by providing an array of business, technical and financial related support solutions together with fully equipped manufacturing facilities, essential business infrastructure and a network of experts and services.
The facility comprises five main areas including:
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A 2 000m2 double storey Main Building consisting of conference, meeting and training venues, an entertainment area and offices for service related enterprises.
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SBI One is a 500m2 area divided into three general, small scale manufacturing spaces and 12 incubatee offices.
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SBI Two is a 500m2 area that has a large chemical storage and dispensing facility, four partitioned spaces for manufacturing of chemicals and cosmetics, four final product storage spaces, a central facility for packaging and labelling, a raw material storage space and a small laboratory for general analysis
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SBI Three is a 450m2 area that contains three partitioned spaces and a communal production area for the manufacturing of plastic products.
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SBI Four is a 450m2 area allocated as a single space for mechanical fabrication.
The intention is to enable and host a sustainable economic ecosystem comprising a diverse mix of SMMEs, service providers and stakeholders that can support each other as well as other businesses located in the Eco-industrial Park.
VALUE PROPOSITION
The incubation model supports SMMEs in two distinct phases namely – physical and virtual. Physical incubation support ranges from 3 to 12 months during which time they should graduate and leave the incubation facility with the intention of establishing their enterprise in the Eco-industrial Park. During the virtual phase, the SBI team of Incubator Specialists will continue to support these enterprises for 24 months to ensure sustainability.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
The SBI team of Incubation Specialists will guide each Incubatee during, the start-up and commercialisation of their enterprise and will also provide or facilitate the following services to the SMMEs:
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Funding solutions
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Coaching and mentoring
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Access to expert networks
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Monthly engagement sessions and workshops
FUNDING SOLUTIONS
Depending on the development requirements of the enterprise in the incubation programme, development funding may be afforded to assist the enterprise in the start-up process. This could amongst others include, but is not limited to, development funding for training, quality management systems, Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) processes, Human Resources (HR) support, branding, corporate identity and marketing. If the business is awarded a contract with Sasol and becomes a Sasol supplier then the Siyakha Loan Funding facility may be considered.
