Enterprise Supplier Development (ESD) programmes are widely acknowledged as critical tools to levelling the playing field that benefit both Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and corporates, yet implementing them is often not that straight forward.
While Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) has played a critical role in the development of many Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), dependency on a single dominant industry in rural communities has left many SMMEs caught in a trap of survival. Agriculture and mining are historically predominant industries in rural South Africa. Prioritising the exploration of large areas of South African land for natural resources to mine has restricted access to available land for agricultural purposes, shrinking the diversity of value chain industries in which SMMEs need to operate.
Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) in rural and peri-urban areas has largely been under-prioritised. With most corporate ESD initiatives focusing on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in close proximity to metropolitan hubs, many promising SMMEs in rural or peri-urban areas have been overlooked.
Zevoli opened its doors in 2014 and we expeditiously evolved our services to where we find ourselves today as one of SA’s leading 100% black women owned Enterprise and Supplier Development advisory and Project Management firms. This inevitably led not only to a change in the way we look, but also to a curiosity to revisit our vision, mission and purpose.
While we talk often about established suppliers having the benefit of economies of scale, we don’t talk enough about the benefit of agility that corporates can tap into through smaller suppliers. For established corporates (both buyer and supplier), decision-making systems and processes are cumbersome, and the governance wheels turn slowly. Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises… Continue reading Opinion piece: Mitigating the perceived risk of Enterprise and Supplier Development partnerships
Corporate South Africa’s funding of Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) initiatives is often based on the belief that these programmes will improve the performance of small and growing businesses alongside their socio-economic circumstances. However, despite the optimism with which corporates have developed and implemented ESD strategies and invested in a range of ESD programmes, there… Continue reading Opinion piece: Impact reporting must be based on best practice to effectively measure the success of ESD programmes
Enterprise Supplier Development (ESD) programmes are widely acknowledged as critical tools to levelling the playing field that benefit both Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and corporates, yet implementing them is often not that straight forward.
THE ABCS OF BEE There is an increasing need to find innovative ways that provide SMMEs with access to markets which go above and beyond adequately developing an entrepreneur. Due to the make-up of corporates’ procurement spend as well as entrenched supply relationships, it is not always possible for high potential SMMEs to gain access… Continue reading INNOVATIVE WAYS TO APPROACH ENTERPRISE AND SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT AND BEE
The last 24 years of our country signify a period of significant unlocking of opportunities that catalysed the active participation of all South Africans in the mainstream economy. Job creation and entrepreneurship have been consistent themes in both public and private sector. The achievement of the latter being possible through continuously striving to attain and… Continue reading BUSINESS UNUSUAL
IN 2018 SOUTH AFRICA, IS IT REALISTIC TO EXPECT MUTUAL ADVANTAGES FOR CORPORATES AND THE SMES THEY DEVELOP? We all know it’s not really about ticking boxes. A thriving, inclusive economy is the objective of B-BBEE, but an outcome where emerging enterprises are succeeding as much as corporates are prospering is still not what most… Continue reading BUSINESS UNUSUAL: PROFOUND BENEFITS, TWO WAYS.
