MEC Zikalala to dialogue with stakeholders on plans to grow SMME sector
THE KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Mr Sihle Zikalala will tomorrow, 20 March 2018, lead influential private and public sector stakeholders in dialogue on the province’s plans to assist small, medium sized and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
The discussions, which come at a time when the SMME sector is being increasingly touted as a potential game changer in the face of a high rate of joblessness and poverty in the country, will bring together representatives of academia, private sector finance, development finance institutions and entrepreneurs.
Commenting ahead of the session, MEC Sihle Zikalala said an adequately empowered SMME sector was vital to the province’s radical economic transformation ideals, particularly its Operation Vula and the Radical Agrarian Socio-Economic Transformation (RASET) programme.
“The dialogue session is essentially about discussing how we can collectively, as the private and public sector, work towards bringing about a turning point in our SMMEs and Co-operatives. While a lot has been accomplished in terms of providing capacity building to the emerging business sector, we feel that we could do much more in terms of capacity building and improving access to finance,” Zikalala said.
Members of the media are invited to attend the Dialogue Session to be held as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Time: 7:30 am
Venue: Elangeni Hotel, Durban
Enquries:
Bongani Tembe
Cell: 082 327 2600
Siyabonga Maphumulo
Cell: 082 330 5132
