South African Airways (SAA) has pledged to nurture and develop black business, entrepreneurs and industrialists as well as women and youth.
Speaking at an entrepreneurs gathering in Midrand on Friday, SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni said the initiative marks – for the first time in the history of South African aviation – a concerted effort to seek out, nurture and develop black business, entrepreneurs and industrialists.
The meeting took place following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between SAA and the Department of Trade and Industry (dti).
Following the signing, SAA invited small and medium enterprises that are 50% or more Black Owned, Black Women Owned, Disabled and Youth Owned businesses to its series of suppliers’ engagement summits.
“Your presence is testament to our belief that there are a multitude of talented, skilled and successful black owned businesses in South Africa – a collective with whom we can engage and together work toward realising our country’s true potential,” Myeni said.
“Traditionally and by legacy, aviation represents what has been symptomatic of perhaps many aspects of our economy – there has always been a lot of talk-shopping and not enough doing. Now is the time for inclusive participation.
“Now is the time for organic development and support for business. And SAA is putting its money where our promises are, SAA is open for business,” Myeni said.
She continued to say that the future of South Africa is largely dependent on state-owned enterprises nurturing small and medium enterprises.
“Small business drives our economy and represents the vast majority of the formal and informal sector; it employs the majority of South Africans. Insights from the 2013 study by Oxford Economics show that the SAA Group contributes R9.2 billion to the South African GDP (0.3%) of which R1.6 billion is contributed through spending by employees and the company’s supply chain. The study also notes that 16 400 jobs are created directly through SAA’s supply chain.”
Similar engagements like this one will also be held in other major areas in the country, such as Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.
- SAnews.gov.za
Speaking at an entrepreneurs gathering in Midrand on Friday, SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni said the initiative marks – for the first time in the history of South African aviation – a concerted effort to seek out, nurture and develop black business, entrepreneurs and industrialists.
The meeting took place following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between SAA and the Department of Trade and Industry (dti).
Following the signing, SAA invited small and medium enterprises that are 50% or more Black Owned, Black Women Owned, Disabled and Youth Owned businesses to its series of suppliers’ engagement summits.
“Your presence is testament to our belief that there are a multitude of talented, skilled and successful black owned businesses in South Africa – a collective with whom we can engage and together work toward realising our country’s true potential,” Myeni said.
“Traditionally and by legacy, aviation represents what has been symptomatic of perhaps many aspects of our economy – there has always been a lot of talk-shopping and not enough doing. Now is the time for inclusive participation.
“Now is the time for organic development and support for business. And SAA is putting its money where our promises are, SAA is open for business,” Myeni said.
She continued to say that the future of South Africa is largely dependent on state-owned enterprises nurturing small and medium enterprises.
“Small business drives our economy and represents the vast majority of the formal and informal sector; it employs the majority of South Africans. Insights from the 2013 study by Oxford Economics show that the SAA Group contributes R9.2 billion to the South African GDP (0.3%) of which R1.6 billion is contributed through spending by employees and the company’s supply chain. The study also notes that 16 400 jobs are created directly through SAA’s supply chain.”
Similar engagements like this one will also be held in other major areas in the country, such as Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.
- SAnews.gov.za