DTI acting BI programme chief director Takalani Tambani
Photo by: Duane Daws
The Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI’s) Black Industrialists (BI) programme would break down the barriers to entry for black-owned and -managed firms in South Africa’s manufacturing sector, acting chief director for the BI programme Takalani Tambani said on Wednesday.
Addressing delegates on the second day of the Manufacturing Indaba, he pointed out that, to date, in excess of R500-million had been approved under the programme for more than eight selected companies across key manufacturing sectors, including the plastics, pharmaceuticals, metal fabrication, electro-equipment and agroprocessing sectors.
This was a significant step towards creating multiple and diverse pathways for black industrialists to enter the sector and to grow the economy, while promoting industrialisation and transforming the manufacturing industry.
The programme, which only supported large industrial projects with a minimum threshold project value of R30-million, promised to unleash the industrial potential that exists within black-owned and managed firms.
The BI programme was expected to contribute to job creation, exports, skills development, supplier development and industrial decentralisation and localisation.
Support was specifically targeted at black businesspeople operating in sectors such as oil and gas, clean technology and energy, mineral beneficiation, pulp, paper and furniture, clothing, textile/leather and footwear, agroprocessing and the ocean economy, which included vessel building and repair.
Tambani encouraged black entrepreneurs to form partnerships and joint ventures to fully participate in the mainstream economy.