FIRST National Bank (FNB) and South African National Parks (SANParks) have completed the first part of the SANParks FNB Business Incubation Programme with 43 entrepreneurs graduating in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on August 31.
The SANParks FNB Business Incubation Programme provides entrepreneurs with mentorship, business coaching and management skills via the FNB Business Incubator.
The aim of the programme is to equip South African entrepreneurs with the skills required to think strategically about their businesses, thus enabling them to make smart business decisions. It hopes to see 175 entrepreneurs graduate by the end of this year.
The KNP programme kicked off in December 2019 with two groups (Phalaborwa in Limpopo and Hazyview in Mpumalanga) of 70 entrepreneurs.
The original implementation plan required in-person workshops and one-on-one engagements with entrepreneurs. However, this was disrupted by the lockdown at the end of March last year. The remainder of the 2020 programme was offered remotely.
SANParks acting chief executive Luthando Dziba said: “The most valuable part of the programme is developing and mentoring entrepreneurs to be solutions-driven, think strategically, make smart decisions and deliver measurable operational excellence: this is what entrepreneurs need to succeed, and this is what sets this programme apart from most incubation/small, medium and micro-enterprise (SMME) development programmes.”
Sipho Silinda, the chief executive of FNB Public Sector Banking, said: “We all want what is best for our country, and we stand to benefit from having capable robust, and well-supported SMMEs. Not only will this collaboration give a strong expression to our continued commitment to assist develop SMMEs, but also help them in a path of sustainable growth and success.”
The programme is currently running in the Cape, Garden Route and Frontier regions.
BUSINESS REPORT