Palabora Foundation to transform BEEs

2007-07-26

Sixteen lucky entrepreneurs started training last Wednesday as part of an exciting new business development programme for BEEs in Ba-Phalaborwa. The unique course was conceived and organised by the Palabora Foundation’s Business Development unit. The participants were shortlisted from the Palabora Foundation’s database of BEE companies after being interviewed.

Jenni Fleming, the unit’s Programme Head, noticed that many small business managers had great expertise in some areas but a lot of them lacked the “big picture”. This new course therefore aims to cover all the disciplines involved in running a business, from marketing to financials. It will also include modules about the South African economy and how to expand nationally.

Jenni realised early on that a classroom setting is not the ideal place for many new managers to learn, and so this course has been specially designed to include activity sessions – learning by doing. It has been six months in the making, and has involved consultations with 15 training companies from across the country.

This Integrated Transformation course is the first of its kind in Limpopo, and possibly even South Africa. It is a 12 day course but will be run in two day sessions each month until October. The course is facilitated by PLV Business Transformation Services at Impala Inn’s conference centre in Phalaborwa.

Half of the funding is from the Palabora Foundation’s budget – money that was donated by the European Union for BEE development – and half is from the government’s SEDA.

The programme has been dubbed “the mini MBA” and there is already a waiting list for any future courses that might take place.

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