CAPE TOWN - The Industrial Development Corporation officially opened their Emalahleni, Mpumalanga branch.
This latest venture will see the IDC commit to strategically serving potential and existing clients in the Highveld region of the province.
This new office is the second in the Mpumalanga region and adds to the already 24 regional and and satellite IDC offices worldwide.
“The launch of the office has been under consideration for a long time, particularly in light of the high economic activity within Emalahleni, but more importantly as a direct response to repeated requests from potential clients and the broader business community, who indicated on several occasions that they would like to have an IDC office in Witbank as travelling to Nelspruit or Johannesburg was costly and time consuming. In addition, the majority of the funding enquiries the IDC received from Mpumalanga province in recent years, have come from the Nkangala district. Naturally this move will significantly strengthen IDC’s presence and promote our visibility in the province of Mpumalanga as well as help us better service entrepreneurs in this region”, said IDC CEO, Geoffrey Qhena.
Officially opened… Divisional Executive: Corporate Affairs, Zama Luthuli, CEO Geoffrey Qhena, MMC Cllr. Johannes Matshipa of Emalahleni Municipality and Regional Manager, Mashweu Matsiela. pic.twitter.com/R54kSmWYPl
— IDC South Africa (@IDCSouthAfrica) May 23, 2018
The office which currently has two employees has its employees work alongside staff in the Nelspruit office.
The new office is situated at the Smokey Mountain Office Park Route N4 Business Park, Third Floor Room 304, Emalahleni and can be contacted on 013 658 2960.
— IDC South Africa (@IDCSouthAfrica) May 23, 2018
Notably, majority of enquiries stem from the Nkangala and Gert Sibande districts in Mpumalanga. It is for this reason including numerous requests from entrepreneurs in this area that the IDC has decided to open up an office in Emalahleni.
Prior to this, the IDC’s presence in Mpumalanga was mainly through their office located in Nelspruit.
“Through that office, we have, to date, processed many funding applications comprising start-ups, expansions as well as acquisitions across the province. It is also important to note that the Nkangala and Gert Sibande districts collectively account for 73% of IDC’s current total investment exposure of R4,66 billion in Mpumalanga”, added Qhena.
Thus far, for the financial year that ended on March 31, 2017, the IDC’s funding approval for businesses from Mpumalanga amounted to R2.2 billion, creating 4000 permanent jobs.
“It is the IDC’s express objective to reach out to black industrialists, start-ups and existing entrepreneurs who operate within the industrial sectors that the corporation supports, especially youth and women, as we contribute to economic growth that is not only inclusive but transformative as well”, concluded Qhena.
Divisional Executive: Corporate Affairs, Zama Luthuli, concludes proceedings for the day. pic.twitter.com/k7Z06p8wnf
— IDC South Africa (@IDCSouthAfrica) May 23, 2018