Archive for March, 2009
Enterprise Development Opportunities Everywhere
Posted by Gavin in Enterprise Development, True Empowerment on March 6th, 2009
This last weekend I went through to the Bruma Flea market. It has been a very long time since I was at a flea market and found it quite fascinating. Hundreds of tiny businesses selling just about everything. The true entrepreneurial spirit is still very much alive in these flea markets.
While browsing I noticed a very nice looking painted picture. The lady selling the art work asked me what I was looking at, which I replied positively, she then asked what I did and where I worked and then eventually I told her that I worked in the BEE Compliance field.
Immediately her eyes opened – her little business selling various artistic things needs help. She even went as far as taking my contact details so she could contact me later.
This opportunity is available everywhere. South Africa has so many businesses, many of which are tiny “subsistence” businesses who have potential to grow but not the skills. Many others are small with lots of potential and given a chance will thrive.
Enterprise Development is everywhere. It is incredibly easy to find the right beneficiary who fits in with your business. Enterprise Developments goal is quite simple, get successful well trained businesses/business people to assist small black businesses succeed.
Finally it is simple, find a business that you can help and help them!
BEE now than later
We cannot deny the fact that race was used to afford some South Africans chances to get the best education, jobs, business opportunities, housing, infrastructure among other things. This to me means it is only race that can be used to redress such wrongs. What counts most is the motive. The apartheid motive was evil while the motive behind the current BEE is noble. If we use a different criterion we will not achieve the desired results. Some commentators argue that there are poor Whites who should be considered in programs like BEE. My argument is that regardless of how effective apartheid was in giving Whites the best opportunities there were bound to be those who were even lazy to carry their bed into a mansion that they were not paying rent for. There would still have been those who were lazy to walk to a supermarket metres away to buy subsidized food. There would still be those who would feel lazy to queue for free welfare grants.
Surely no one is to blame for this.
My greatest fear is that if the issue of equal access to the resources of the country’s is not addressed now it might be difficult to try it in the future. It will be difficult to motivate its execution at a later stage because there will be a new generation with little appreciation of apartheid serve for what they read in history books. Then it might be done and hurriedly and using costly methods to the entire nation. The other danger is that it might be propelled by a mass uprising of the poor Black population.
My advice is that it’s better done now then later because the fact of the matter is that it is necessary to do it if co-existence of races is to be achieved.
Recent Comments