This development will translate to increased domestic and foreign direct investment into the city, drive economic growth and reduce the city’s 28.8 per cent unemployment rate, by creating sustainable job opportunities.
According to the city’s head of economic development, Caiphus Chauke, Ekurhuleni will pull out all the stops to create a favourable business environment to attract exports, too.
“We seek to develop and promote exports and the provision of aftercare services for business and investment retention and expansion,” he explained.
Chauke said the business network boasts an investment and development application window, which caters for all major and strategic investment and development applications to be processed through an electronic document management system.
“This will provide an improved turn around time for decision-making regarding investments and development proposals,” he added.
The business network is equipped with a sophisticated lobby lounge, established for networking sessions with investors, developers and business at large.
The facility will also host business delegations visiting Ekurhuleni for potential investment and business opportunities.
Key for Ekurhuleni residents, the business network houses a business centre, to stimulate the city’s enterprise development goals.
The centre hosts an array of enterprise development initiatives, focusing on entrepreneurship, incubation projects, innovation business support services and funding.
Chauke said the centre will champion poverty alleviation efforts, economic empowerment and township economic development, through provision of economic infrastructure and market access opportunities.
“The business centre will also give focus to an individual who will walk in to get business advice and coaching,” he added.
“It will also offer tender advice to businesses on how to access business opportunities and how to fill in the Ekurhuleni tender documents.
“We will also assist businesses to access opportunities from state owned enterprises and progressive blue-chip companies.”
Emerging businesses will be pleased to know that the SEDA Enterprise Development Programme is home to the business network.
SEDA brings a comprehensive small business development programme, comprising Business Planning Support Services; Quality Assurance Services; Export Awareness Programmes; Office Co-location and Business Advisory Services, among others.
As a youthful city, Ekurhuleni’s business network will not be complete without the BizSpark Incubation Centre, that came about as a result of the partnership with New Generation Mindset and the Microsoft BizSpark Network.
The incubation will recruit 60 individuals and SMMEs for a period of 12 months for individuals, and three years for selected SMMEs, to receive training on technology, software and programming mentoring, business development support, software and business development training and skills development of unemployed graduates, among others.
The participants will receive Microsoft internationally accredited certificates for training successfully completed.
