The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government will on Friday launch the Black Industrialists Programme.
“KwaZulu-Natal has a lot of aspiring and ambitious entrepreneurs, especially from the designated empowerment groupings like women and youth. Thus, our focus is on ensuring that a sizeable portion of the Black Industrialists budget comes to KwaZulu-Natal.
“This will go a long way towards producing industrialists from the historically excluded communities, which our province so desperately needs,” said MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Sihle Zikalala.
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies is scheduled to attend Friday’s launch of the R1-billion incentive scheme geared wholly towards growing Black owned businesses so that they become globally competitive.
Ahead of the launch, Minister Davies and MEC Zikalala will conduct a visit to the premises of Mthembu Tissue Converting, a successful Black enterprise based in Phoenix, which is a beneficiary of the Black Industrialists Programme.
MEC Zikalala said the province is determined to seize opportunities inherent in the Black Industrialists Programme for the benefit of its citizens.
He said the province is in discussion with the Department of Trade and Industry on the creation of a strategic partnership for the implementation of Black Industrialists Programme in KwaZulu-Natal.
The launch will take place at the Department of Public Works in Mayville, Durban.
