Productivity SA Regional Manager, Ms Amelia Naidoo
A massive boost for export industry in KZN
The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) and Productivity SA have announced the introduction of a programme to improve the productivity and competiveness of exporters and prospective exporters in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a collaboration between government and business, the KZN Exporter Competitiveness Programme (KECP) will be launched on 11th October 2018 at Coastland Hotel, Musgrave. Members of the media are invited to the launch as follows:
Date: Thursday, 11 October 2018
Time: 8h30 for 9h00
Venue: Coastlands Hotel, 315 Peter Mokaba Ridge, Musgrave
The primary aim of the programme is to grow the exports industry in KZN thereby accelerating economic growth and job creation in the province. The Regional Manager for Productivity SA in KwaZulu-Natal, Ms Amelia Naidoo, says “the KZN Exporter Competitiveness Programme (KECP) is primed to improve the productivity and competitiveness of exporters and prospective exporters through the provision of a foundation of operational efficiency and company performance”.
Naidoo says “The KZN Exporter Competitiveness programme will be launched during the annual Productivity SA regional Productivity Awards. According to Naidoo “the programme stands to improve the productivity of the exports industry in KwaZulu-Natal”. Productivity SA is established in terms of section 31 of the Employment Services Act, No. 4 of 2014 as an Entity of the Department of Labour, with the mandate to promote employment growth and productivity.
The Productivity SA Regional Manager in KwaZulu-Natal say at inception, the programme has already seen 20 export companies in KZN sign up to partake in the programme. The key objectives of the programme includes a drive to improve and modernise KZN exporter practices and infrastructure, create opportunities for the previously disadvantaged and enable Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to actively participate in the export market.
The programme has created cluster of companies whereby the companies collaborate to share best practices and the approach is also proving to be beneficial to SMMEs who stand to leverage greatly from established entrepreneurs.
The programme has generated a buzz of excitement and the Deputy Director General of Economic Development and Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), Mr Sihle Mkhize says “a more competitive economy has a much greater ability to sustain higher wages, which in turn translates to a higher standard of living for the citizens. As such, part of our economic growth and development vision for KZN province is to transform this province into one of the most competitive economies within the globe”
Other role players in economic development in KZN such as the Trade Investment KZN (TIKZN) and the KZN Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) have come aboard the programme and provided their database of clients to join the programme. SEDA also offered a massive boost to the programme by signing to pay for 20% of the training of SMMEs within the programme.
The Chief Executive Officer of Productivity SA Mr Mothunye Mothiba says, “As South Africa grapples with the changing socio-economic and industrial landscape, mainly brought about by rapid globalisation and the fourth industrial revolution, including associated disruptive technologies, we should steadfastly promote and facilitate best practices in productivity and innovation to improve economic competitiveness”.
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