Government in bid to boost agro-processing
NETWORK REPORTER
NEWCASTLE entrepreneurs have been urged to look beyond primary agriculture activities and to explore opportunities in the agro-processing sector.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nomalungelo Gina, addressed more than 300 businesspeople at an interactive information session held in Newcastle last week.
The session was part of a national roadshow that is being rolled out by the Economic Development department aimed at facilitating an interaction between small businesses and the country’s development finance institutions (DFIs).
“As government, we recognise the critical role that small businesses play in growing the economy of the country, creating jobs and eradicating poverty. But our emphasis is on profitable and sustainable small businesses that have the capacity to grow into big business,” said Gina.
She added that Newcastle was predominantly agricultural area.
“This presents unlimited opportunities for a number of businesses in the agro-processing value chain. There are many products that you can work together on to produce from the primary agriculture that is being successfully practised by many people in this area,” said Gina.
She added that government’s development finance institutions such as the National Youth Development
Agency, Small Enterprise Development Agency, National Empowerment Fund and Industrial Development Corporation, were obliged to provide support to entrepreneurs.
“The development finance agencies have been created specifically to assist you make a success of your businesses. Government is committed to ensuring that you do not only get funding for your business from these agencies but also that you are provided with assistance when it comes to accessing the market,” added Gina.
The mayor of the Amajuba District Municipality, Musa Ngubane, said the district, which is comprised of Newcastle, Utrecht and Dannhauser and has a population of 500 000, was experiencing an unemployment rate of 57%, a figure made up mostly of young people.
“Promoting entrepreneurship will enable us to change the situation around in our district and produce entrepreneurs that will create more employers and lessen the number of people looking for jobs,” said Ngubane.