The executive manager of Corporate Relations of Productivity SA, Dr Nandi Dabula, said entrepreneurs should develop a spirit of partnership as this formed an important and powerful way to deal with the ever-changing economic environment.
Dr Dabula was one of the speakers at the second leg of the Limpopo Milestone Workshop at Khoroni Hotel and Convention Centre in Thohoyandou on Wednesday, 28 September, where companies shared how they managed to deal successfully with challenges stemming from the new world of work. The workshop was organised by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, in partnership with Productivity SA and the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET).
"Entrepreneurs should be innovative in order to survive in these challenging times. I urge you to work hard. When your business grows, it means that South Africa and we as Productivity SA are growing too," said Dr Dabula.
The aim of the workshop was to recognise companies that have demonstrated resilience in the difficult economic environment and managed to sustain their businesses through the implementation of Productivity SA's Workplace Challenge Programme.
One of the entrepreneurs from the Vhembe region, Ms Martha Ramavhuya of MBS Sewing Centre in Musina, said the workshop had been insightful and very helpful for her company.
MBS Sewing Centre, which has been operating informally since 1996, started very small in the living room at Ramavhuya's house. She officially registered her company in 2013 and it later went from strength to strength. "Our company is the official supplier of school uniforms to several public schools around the Vhembe District. We also sew traditional, church, and corporate attire, among others. We are one of the best textile manufacturers in Musina and the entire Limpopo Province and have created jobs for many young people," said Ramavhuya.
Mr Ntsieni Mbulungeni, the chairperson of the Thulamela Business Forum (TBF), said that the Limpopo Milestone Workshop had been very successful and that the forum would continue to press hard on institutions such as Productivity SA and those who were mandated to provide enterprise and supply-development services to ensure that acceptable measures were in place to monitor and evaluate any intervention.