100% success for Foundation business graduates

2007-11-22

Flower Raner is delighted with her award It is very unusual to see a 100% success rate for any kind of examination or training course, but that is exactly what the sixteen Phalaborwa BEE shareholders achieved at the end of their unique Management Development Programme (MDP). The programme, which has taken place over the last six months, was the brainchild of Jenni Fleming, head of the Business Development unit at the Palabora Foundation. Their graduation took place at Masorini Lodge, Silonque, on the evening of Thursday 22 November.

After securing funding for the programme from the EU (European Union) and SEDA, the government’s Small Enterprise Development Agency, Jenni went about finding the ideal training consultants to present the course she had in mind. Her idea was to give the participants an intensive course covering all aspects of business, from financial planning to expanding sales. The company chosen to develop and run the unique course was PLV Business Transformation Services. According to Thys Goosen, one of the facilitators, a lot of the training was derived from high level material used in a full length Management and Business Administration (MBA) degree, and yet the participants amazed the facilitators with their impressive answers.

The evening began with a speech from Regina Shokoane, one of the 16 graduates, who thanked everyone involved and told of how the trainees had become a family over the six months they had been learning together. She said that now they wake up with a big smile, because they know what they are going to do. With their new knowledge, subjects that they used to consider boring are now opportunities to make profit. They have turned from caretakers of their business to risk takers; they have dreams, and they are in a position to pursue those dreams.

Legadimane Phahlamohlaka, the EU representative, expressed his appreciation for the MDP. He said that it is a risky decision to approve funding in terms of EU rules, and so he was grateful for the commitment of the trainees, the Palabora Foundation and SEDA. He was positive about the possibility of future funding, and was applauded when he said that he would send EU people to visit the Palabora Foundation if they wanted to see an example of well-used funding. He finished his speech by urging the participants to contact the Palabora Foundation when they are highly successful businesses that are earning so much money, they want to fund projects themselves; he was confident that their time will come.

Mandla Sibiya from SEDA in Polokwane thanked the Palabora Foundation and commented to the graduates, “The champions are you”. He went on to wish them all the best and promised that SEDA would be calling on each business to see how they are implementing the training. In this way, they will see whether their funding is bearing fruit, and will be able to make a decision about future MDP funding.

Marc Demmer, Director of the Palabora Foundation, praised Jenni Fleming for her vision and passion. He urged the graduates to use Jenni as a resource, and thanked everyone for their involvement in making the MDP a success. Jenni commented that without his faith in her, the MDP would not have happened.

During an emotional speech, Paul Vermaak, one of the facilitators, said that the course had awakened the champion within each of them. He wanted them to see the MDP as the beginning of a journey, and to continue that journey to make Phalaborwa a better place. He told the graduates that he had seen them grow so much in the past six months, but from the start he could see they all had a passion for their dream.

Talking to the graduates, it was clear that each one had gained a great deal more than a certificate from taking part. Each one identified specific areas of their business that were already beginning to benefit, and they all said that the training had made a lot of difference to them. So look out for these people in Phalaborwa; they are on their way to the top!

The graduates were: Mariaan Breedt, David Chauke, Solly Chauke, Thomas Lekwadu, Onicca Lesenya, Daniel Makita, Calvin Mashakeng, Cyfrance Matsane, David Mundluvu, Teressa Ngomane, Paulos Ngwenya, Sharné Petrus, Flower Raner, Regina Shokoane, Ian Smit, and Peter Spenser.

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