Local film producers and visual content creators were inducted on the IDC business requirements for funding applications, during a knowledge café hosted by the Media & AudioVisual Strategic Business Unit (SBU), on 10 May at IDC head offices in Sandton. The knowledge café was meant...
Based in the Eastern Cape, this company is an example of the success that young and entrepreneurial individuals can have in a well-established industry. 24 new direct jobs. Growth in a business owned by Black Industrialists and youth. Rashaad Musa and Ricardo Ferreira identified an...
Sew The Winter To My Skin is a South African story that retells the life of John Kepe who was convicted and sentenced to death for murder in Cradock in 1952. In the film, producer Layla Swart and writer and director Jahmil XT Qubeka tell...
Yi Li Da SA Manufacturing was established in 2015 and is the sole manufacturer of the popular polyester (mink) blanket products in South Africa. Yi Li Da SA was set up by their Chinese parent company to take advantage of the opportunity to replace imports....
Musina Intermodal Terminal is implementing an intermodal transport logistics terminal in Musina, Limpopo. The terminal, which has created 72 new direct jobs, is strategically located within the Musina industrial area that contains existing road-rail link infrastructure and is suited for an inland logistics hub. The...
Thakadu Metals Beneficiation was founded in 2015 by Ruli Diseko, a young Black Industrialist, and created 165 direct jobs. Diseko’s experience in the mining and metals industry stems from his employment at Lonmin, the Department of Mineral Resources and as a commodities trader. Having identified...
Start-ups are often thinly resourced, with gaps in management. Be aware not to expand and grow a start-up business too quickly if the production volume or quality is still low due to technical manufacturing problems Ideally, take the leap of faith and employ the...
Entrepreneurs should be aware of the technology-transfer challenges from one country to the next, when setting up a manufacturing plant, including purchasing equipment. There is no seamless transfer even when one buys the same machinery, e.g. the environmental conditions are different and the staff...
In most start-ups, there are delays in starting operations, leading to cost over-runs. Ensure investors/shareholders can put in extra equity or acquire grant funding to cover these costs – stand-by equity or debt facilities. Also, factor in time overruns in the commissioning schedule by...
Be aware of the fluctuations of the rand exchange rate in capex purchases (e.g. buying imported equipment for production). Cost over-runs due to currency weaknesses may negatively impact the sustainability of a business. The IDC budget often includes a contingency for exchange rate fluctuations. ...