Diversified miner Exxaro Resources and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA) on April 12 held the graduation ceremony for the first cohort of Contractor Development Programme participants.
In November 2020, Exxaro launched the Contractor Development Programme in partnership with the GIBS EDA.
The academy’s goal is to build an entrepreneurial spirit amid a culture of innovation and social change. The EDA partners with institutions and organisations to develop entrepreneurs.
The programme aims to promote and support the advancement and empowerment of local Exxaro suppliers by providing business education and mentorship. Seventeen companies graduated from the programme.
The entities say this marks a key milestone in several areas – firstly, in the lives of several small enterprises whose owners were graduating; and secondly, the relationship between Exxaro and GIBS, for the drive towards creating growing and sustainable enterprises in the country.
“Entrepreneurship, among others, is about resilience and staying the course. The participants have demonstrated this by staying in this programme until the end, while ensuring that their businesses continued to operate.
“It is notable to see that all your businesses are still in operation, in an environment where business mortality remains unacceptably high,” said Exxaro stakeholder affairs executive head Mzila Mthenjane.
The programme provided a unique intervention that combined selected accredited unit standards with customised mining and Exxaro-specific content to maximise impact and relevance for participants.
As a result of this strategic mentorship and empowerment programme, participants from 30 companies graduated with new skills.