ESD initiatives

Image sourced from: Shane Mc Lendon – Unsplash Accenture, in partnership with Adapt Digital Solutions, has launched a multi-tenant Mining Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) Platform for the mining industry that is designed to ramp up meaningful outcomes for the entire mining ecosystem. It is a Salesforce and cloud-based platform available as a service. This […]

Could this investment vehicle be the key to assist small business and unemployment in South Africa? Our unemployment rate has hit a record 35.3% and the many issues we are facing in South Africa are only worsening . Could Impact Investing be the ticket to spearheading more social entrepreneurs, more solutions and more access to

When an entrepreneur signs a long-term contract with a large company, it often feels like winning the jackpot. Being part of a corporate supply chain offers stability for SMEs, as it provides continuous access to market opportunities, a guaranteed off-taker and a sustained income. Their cash flow and ability to plan ahead is further strengthened

Women in agriculture frequently face gender-specific obstacles worldwide. Impediments such as lack of access to land, education and finance often put women farmers at a disadvantage before they ever put a plough to a field or sow a seed in the ground. This gender gap imposes significant costs on society in terms of lost agricultural

Shared value is a concept sometimes summarized as when profit meets purpose, or more academically in a 2011 issue of the Harvard Business Review as ‘policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates’. But what does this

Through its Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programme, Mondelēz has recently taken up the challenge to empower Black-owned small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) through skills development and preferential procurement. “For a period ranging from 2019 until recently, our ESD programme supported a number of businesses in the Sales, Marketing, Catering and Transport industries –

Enterprise supplier development funds are prominent in SA, partly due to the change in the BBBEE ratings methodology, which made it the most significant element on the scorecard. But it’s not making the impact it should. An interest rate of 15% a year. That was the rate (prime + 5%) we were offered by one

Since its inception in 2013, the Sanlam Group Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programme has helped 267 South African SMEs and financial planning businesses grow their revenue by 21%, on average, and create 391 sustainable new jobs. In total, its supported almost 2 500 jobs. Despite the difficulties of Covid-19, the 2020/21 programme saw 35