Tushiyah, in partnership with Umsizi Sustainable Social Solutions (Pty) Ltd and Imkava Consulting (Pty) Ltd, implemented the Harmony Gold Enterprise Development Programme in Tsolo, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This region had a high unemployment rate, and is quite isolated geographically in terms of distance and infrastructure.
The mining group wished to extend their existing economic development projects in the area wuth a customized development programme, aimed at impacting a large number of entrepreneurs using a broad-based development approach. A Broad-Based Livelihoods (BBL) was already implemented earlier through the work of Umsizi, and a continuation of this initiative was planned by Umsizi with Tushiyah as its implementation partner, to further develop BBL participants and other emerging businesses.
A customized Enterprise Development programme (to guide entrepreneurs through start-up or idea phases) was implemented, aiming to impact a significantly large number of entrepreneurs using a broad-based entrepreneurial development approach.
Tushiyah initiated the overall design of the programme once the local conditions were assessed and gathered a substantial body of information from the implementation partners having implemented the BBL programme before. Further engagements with other stakeholders such as local project team members, the local municipality and importantly, traditional leaders contributed to a greater understanding of the community. The community of Tsolo and surrounding villages face many challenges, including the lack of essential entrepreneurial skills, education gaps and inadequate experience needed to establish and run sustainable businesses. The quest was to create a programme tailored to address the specific gaps of the Tsolo community – one that ultimately would equip the community with the relevant skills and exposure to enable them to participate in the local economy. Importantly, we wished to put individuals in place at the end of the programme who could continue with the upskilling in future. The programme was launched in October 2022 and was implemented over a period of 10 months, during which it achieved the empowerment of existing and potential entrepreneurs who gained practical entrepreneurial skills that will enable business growth.
The programme objectives were:
To achieve the desired outcomes, a local team of Business Advisors, Facilitators and Administrators were recruited, and received relevant training linked to their job descriptions and task expectations. Facilitators received training and certification as Trainers through the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI).
The commitment level shown by participants on the programme, speaks directly to the benefit they derived for themselves, and their families and the graph below presents the results from the interventions implemented. Outside of direct market opportunities awarded to programme participants, other community businesses received market opportunities in hospitality and catering, transport, and printing and consulting services in excess of R80 000.
The impact that the Harmony Gold Enterprise Development Programme had in the greater Tsolo region can not only be measured through the statistics and data analysis which speaks to a tremendous success ratio but must also consider the value in the non-measurable contribution it has had in the communities which is inclusive of the following:
"Excellent delivery of a broad-based enterprise development programme in a rural community with significant impact to many businesses.
Tushiyah was a valuable and specialist business partner to Umsizi in delivering the Tsolo enterprise development programme for Harmony Gold. The programme broke new ground in terms of the high numbers of entrepreneurs and enterprises which developed during the programme. This resulted in significant economic benefit to large numbers of historically disadvantaged persons and businesses at a grass roots level, which further strengthened local economic growth in a poverty-stricken region of the Eastern Cape. The professionalism, knowledge skill, passion, and dedication of the Tushiyah team were exceptional. Umsizi will continue to partner with Tushiyah in driving inclusive ESD and LED with our partners and stakeholders."
- John Mark, Umsizi Sustainable Social Solutions, 2023
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