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Some of the sectors that are targeted by the programme are agriculture, agroprocessing, automotive, coke and petroleum products, iron and steel, and chemicals.
This week, the department of trade and industry (the dti) signed a memorandum of understanding with SAA for procurement opportunities for black industrialists. SAA will implement a three-year supplier development programme that will seek to source 50% of all consumable suppliers from empowered enterprises by the end of 2018. This programme will also provide training and development assistance through regular seminars and engagement sessions around the country.
According to Masina, the department had also been speaking to Eskom, Transnet, Prasa and Denel to secure a similar arrangement.
Patel said the IDC had approved R1.6bn funding for black industrialists in the last year.
One of the recipients of this first tranche of funding is Paseka Lesolang who owns WHC, a company that produces water control devices for toilets.
Lesolang said he could not disclose the amount he had received from the IDC, but said funding and any future funding had to meet certain strict requirements.
“The business’ trading name is WHC, which stands for water, hygiene and convenience. Water represents our substance focus, hygiene represents the green economy we serve and convenience represents the innovative products and services we provide,” he explained to City Press.
“I founded WHC to solve a toilet problem and to eventually save water, sustain the environment and contribute to society,” he added.
The toilet problem Lesolang refers to was his grandparents’ toilet cistern in Ga-Rankuwa, a township north of Pretoria. The budding entrepreneur knew that procuring the services of a plumber was not an option because of financial constraints.
“Instead of complaining about it, I decided to find a solution.
“I consulted plumbers, did online research and consulted with engineers.
“I then applied my mind and came up with a conceptual toilet solution that consisted of water-saving and hygiene features, which are applicable to the average household,” said Lesolang.
He thought he was on to something that would attract investment immediately, but was in for a frustrating time.
“I contacted toilet manufacturers, but they did not give me the opportunity to thoroughly explain my invention because of their personal reasons.
“Considering our water situation and the R7.2bn loss due to unaccounted [nonrevenue-generating] water leaks, I approached government departments. I thought they would agree with me, at least based on the national water week campaign objectives ... I was unfortunately sent from pillar to post for months,” he said.
It was only after Lesolang explained his idea on Motsweding FM that he was able to raise interest in his invention.
“After leaving my contact details on air, I got calls from as far as Botswana,” he explained.
And this was when he really started doing business – using his grandparents’ garage as the company’s headquarters.
WHC has now grown and Lesolang has employed seven people. His business is now based at The Innovation Hub in Pretoria.
The 100 black industrialists’ programme is also reaching out to markets in other African countries and globally, especially China, and is starting to yield wider results, according to Masina.
“When we went to China, Yilda Manufacturing committed to establishing a blanket factory in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Shaanxi Automobile Group is planning to invest in a heavy truck assembly plant in Durban and Sichuan Minshan is investing in a manufacturing electronics plant in Port Elizabeth.”
