Copper miner Palabora Copper has confirmed the selection of the 30 candidates who will be part of its Supplier Develop-ment Programme (SDP) for the next two years.

Palabora Copper corporate affairs GM and company secretary Keith Mathole says the SDP aims to create opportunities for locally black-owned businesses to become suppliers to mines and other related businesses.

“Part of the SDP included identifying opportunities within the business that could be matched to the selected companies and we’ve made significant progress,” Mathole says.

He adds that, in South Africa, as is the case in many developing economies, the biggest employers are small and medium-sized companies and Palabora Copper has a significant role to play in the country’s economy, as this will also increase the level of employment and the livelihood of its people.

“This programme is part of the various initiatives Palabora has undertaken to benefit local people,” he notes.

The SDP is being rolled out conjointly with the Palabora Foundation as the community execution partner.

Local businesses had until November 24, 2013, to register their companies for the SDP, which was officially launched on October 24 that same year.

Palabora Foundation director Malesela Letsoalo says that 417 companies registered to be part of the programme and, of those, 217 com-panies were validated.

The validation criteria included the verifi-cation of the enterprises’ registration with the Companies and Intellectual Property Com-mission, their core offerings and their being based in the Ba-Phalaborwa municipality.

Letsoalo further indicates that, in selecting the applicants for further interviewing, the criteria used included the number of years the company has been operating in business, the number of people it employs and a demonstrated understanding of its business offering.

“We shortlisted and interviewed 167 busi-nesses, of which 30 enterprises were selected. “The SDP has the potential to create a booming local manufacturing and services industry that will sustain the community beyond the mining period,” maintains Mathole.

He adds that this will significantly boost the company’s broad-based black economic-empowerment rating and compliance with the Department of Mineral Resources Mining Charter.

Mathole notes that Palabora Copper is moving beyond this compliance, as it wants to be involved in initiatives focused on the greater good of the community, as transformation is more than just complying with the regulations.

He explains that the potential suppliers will have to meet all the quality-, health- and safety-related standards of Palabora Copper before they are introduced to the available opportunities and allowed to work on site.

“We have also put together various support programmes for our local suppliers, with the Business Incubation Centre, located at Palabora Foundation, also at their disposal to assist them.”

Mathole notes that Palabora Copper values its continuing relationship with the surrounding communities of Ba-Phalaborwa and is positive about the programme being a success and empowering the local people.