17 Dec 2010: USAID Visit to Amelia Women Project
saibl client Amelia Women Project was visited by Sharon Cromer - USAID Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa on 16 December. Ms Cromer was in South Africa to attend the USAID Africa Mission Directors' Conference in Sandton. Following the conference, Ms Cromer took some time to visit various partner projects supported by USAID Southern Africa. The visit to Amelia Women Project came highly recommended by Jeff Borns (USAID Southern Africa Mission Director). This Johannesburg-based closed corporation was registered in 2003 and provides commercial cleaning services to schools, municipalities and private companies. As always, Ms Amelia Ramphadi (pictured here on the right with Ms Comer) spoke highly of the saibl programme and the support she has received from saibl. It was evident that Ms Cromer was impressed by Amelia's passion for her work and more so because Amelia Women Project is a company that takes job creation - especially for women - very seriously.
09 Dec 2010: SASDC Presentation to National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) Chief Executives
On Wednesday, 8 December 2010, the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) was invited to deliver a presentation at a meeting of the Chief Executives of NAAMSA member companies at Volkswagen in Midrand. The SASDC delegation included Mr Gary Joseph (Director), Mr Matthew Govender (MD: Barloworld Siyakhula, and SASDC Board member designate) and Mrs Kerryn Haselau (SASDC Membership an Advocacy). The objective of the presentation was to impart high-level insights into the SASDC to NAAMSA’s senior leadership including its mission, vision and overall operating model. The meeting was also used as a platform to highlight the importance of and benefits to corporate leadership in supplier diversity efforts. The intention now is to meet with those Chief Executives individually to facilitate broader understanding of and buy-in to the South African supplier diversity journey.
23 Nov 2010: saibl Launches an e-Catalogue
saibl has published a new 34 page e-Catalogue. The catalogue aims to assist saibl clients and their support networks to share their products far and wide.
22 Nov 2010: saibl and De Beers Partner to Empower Black Women-Owned Suppliers
On 11 November 2010, saibl attended the De Beers Venetia Mine Supplier Day. Held in Polokwane, Limpopo, the purpose of the event was for the mine to increase its local spend in Limpopo and increase the number of black suppliers (particularly women) for its Venetia Mine in Musina. The event was attended by approximately 200 participants consisting of existing corporate suppliers, existing suppliers from outside Limpopo and potential black suppliers locally. Presentations covered topics such as the Mining Charter, the implication of local spend and doing business with De Beers. During the presentations, saibl was introduced as a key partner in identifying, assessing in terms of eligibility and developing black suppliers. De Beers also took the opportunity to proudly announce itself as a founding member of the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC). To date, saibl together with De Beers have identified 20 black women owned suppliers for the Venetia Mine. Assessments of these suppliers are under way.
12 Nov 2010: SASDC Delegation Concludes Successful Visit to NMSDC Annual Conference
A delegation from the South African Supplier Diversity Council attended and exhibited at the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s Annual Conference and Business Opportunity Fair in Miami, Florida, from 23 - 27 October 2010. The delegation’s main aim was to gain a better understanding of the US supplier diversity landscape, as well as the positioning of the NMSDC in terms of promoting minority businesses within this landscape, and learning how this translated into collective action and impact. Besides the structured events on the conference programme, the delegation engaged with various stakeholders in several formal and informal meetings.
The Global Link Partners meetings enabled the delegation to share its challenges and experiences with other global partners from Canada, Australia and China. At the NMSDC Regional Councils Presidents’ Meeting the delegation received practical advice around both strategic and operational aspects that should be factored into the SASDC model. The NMSDC Members Meeting provided insight into meeting preparation and protocol as mechanisms for effective and efficient engagement. The delegation also met with SASDC founding member Cummins Inc and was informed that US corporations placed most of their efforts on sourcing and procuring from minority businesses in terms of supplier diversity efforts, with enterprise or supplier development not necessarily being part of the supplier diversity scope of work. SASDC corporate members would however need to focus on enterprise and supplier development because of the lack of black suppliers within the market place, and as a mitigation factor for effective and sustainable targeted procurement and supplier diversity return on investment. Meetings were also held with the Navistar Supplier Diversity Director, the Houston MSDC President/CEO, Diversity Business publication editor, Enterprise Florida Africa programme consultant, to mention a few.
The delegation concurred that the event and associated activities were excellently executed, obviously from years of learning and experience in hosting such events. A very important observation was the visibility of corporate members in the execution of the event, with NMSDC personnel providing the necessary background support and coordination – this emphasized the model with respect to being corporate-led and owned.
29 Oct 2010: SASDC Joins the International Supplier Diversity Community at the NMSDC's Annual Conference (press Release)
Miami, Florida: From Saturday 23 October to Wednesday 27 October a delegation from the South African Supplier Diversity Council attended and exhibited at the 2010 National Minority Supplier Development Council’s annual conference and business opportunity fair in Miami, Florida, USA. The SASDC is a corporate member led organization in South Africa promoting supplier diversity by certifying bona fide black suppliers and opening up corporate procurement opportunities to black businesses. The delegation included members of the South Africa International Business Linkages Program (saibl), a USAID funded program supporting the establishment of the SASDC, as well as several representatives from the SASDC corporate founding members.
21 Oct 2010: SASDC to Lead Sustainable Supplier Diversity in South Africa (Press Release)
The South African Supplier Diversity Council is open for business. This is the message that will be conveyed next week when the SASDC exhibits at the annual NMSDC Convention and International Business Opportunity Fair in Miami, Florida for the first time. Many members of the NMSDC – the National Minority Supplier Development Council of the US - also have operations in South Africa and this is an opportunity for these corporations to talk to the SASDC delegation and to encourage their subsidiaries to become members.
The NMSDC Convention and Fair will take place from 23-27 October 2010 in Miami, Florida. Besides representation from the 39 affiliated US Council chapters, there will be representatives from the SASDC’s Global Link partners in Australia, Canada, China and the UK. This event also attracts over 7000 delegates from across the USA, including both large US corporations and US minority-owned businesses.
The founding members of the SASDC are ABSA, Barloworld, Cummins, De Beers, First Rand, FOSKOR, Johnson Controls, Rand Water, Sappi, Sasol and Unilever. The SASDC aims to have over 40 active corporate members by 2012, with a database of over 300 certified bona fide black suppliers conducting regular business with its members.
15 Oct 2010: USAID Mission Director Visits with saibl Programme in KwaZulu/Natal
Following the Gauteng site visits in September, Mr Jeff Borns (USAID Mission Director) and Mrs Leslie Marbury this week visited three long-standing saibl clients (Decoma, Zenezeleni Clothing and Global Bags) in Durban, KwaZulu/Natal. During this visit, Mr Borns was also joined by the Consul-General of the United States, Ms Jill Derderian, who is based in Durban. The day started with a brief overview of business development in KwaZulu/Natal, the sectors which saibl focuses on in the region, the challenges faced and how these are currently addressed. All the clients that the delegation visited spoke with passion and pride about their companies and the support that saibl has extended to them. Once again, Mr Borns was very impressed by the saibl Programme’s contribution to economic growth.
13 Oct 2010: Koopmanskloof Winery Wins award at Max Havelaar 2011 Fair Trade Wine competition
This week we congratulate saibl client Koopmanskloof Winery for its victory at the Max Havelaar 2011 Fair Trade Wine competition. The Koopmanskloof Cabernet Sauvignon was selected as the best Fair Trade wine from among 30 reds in a blind tasting. Yvonne Klaassen, a buyer for the supermarket chain Superunie, described the award winning wine as "A spicy wine with character, but suitable for different occasions." Koopmanskloof Winery’s CEO Rydal Jeftha was especially pleased that Koopmanskloof Winery won this award for the second year running, demonstrating consistently high quality.
08 Oct 2010: saibl Clients Scoop DTI Technology Awards
Two saibl clients in the chemicals industry in Gauteng registered for the Department of Trade and Industry’s Annual Technology Awards competition in August 2010. This competition was entered by more than fifty Small and Medium Enterprises in the innovation and progress sector. Amelia Women Project of Johannesburg and XChem Chemicals of Centurion both made the final list of ten and then reached the top three. saibl was invited to the award ceremony at Gallagher Convention Center in Midrand on Thursday, 7 October. Xchem won first prize and the second prize was scooped by Amelia Women projects. saibl wishes to congratulate both clients on their achievement!
The purpose of the dti’s Annual Technology Awards is to raise awareness on the benefits of using technology to improve the competitiveness of enterprises, within the local and global arena. The Awards seek to recognise individuals and organisations for their consistent efforts in advancing and promoting technology interests and innovation by youth, women and emerging enterprises. The Technology Awards collectively encompass the achievements of three the dti technology programmes, namely the Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII), managed by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC); Technology and Human Resource for Industry Programme (THRIP), managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF); and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (seda) Technology Programme (stp).
01 Oct 2010: SASDC Website Goes Live
Another major milestone in the establishment of the South African Supplier Diversity Council was achieved with the creation of a formal presence for the SASDC on the world wide web. The SASDC website, www.sasdc.org.za, went live on 28 September, about a month after the activation of various SASDC social media profiles, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as a Blog. The SASDC Portal is also live with restricted access for members only.
01 Oct 2010: Training of BBSDP Network Facilitators in Gauteng
Training for the first group of Gauteng Network Facilitators for the Department of Trade and Industry’s Black Business Suppliers Development Programme was conducted this week by saibl. The training was attended by 21 Network Facilitators who were trained in the following: (1) Business Writing; (2) Assignment Management; (3) Ethics in Consulting; and (4) Picking Sound Companies. The Network Facilitators were also taken through the BBSDP 2 processes. The trained Network Facilitators will apply the Picking Sound Companies tool on a live case after which they will be recommended to the DTI for listing as Network Facilitators. A similar training session will be conducted in Durban during the next week.
30 Sep 2010: USAID Mission Director Visits saibl
On 30 September Mr Jeff Borns (the newly appointed USAID Mission Director) and Mrs Leslie Marbury attended a briefing session on the saibl programme. The session was intended to give Mr Borns a better understanding of the focus of saibl and the important role that the SASDC can play. The day kicked off with a presentation by saibl's Chief of Party, John James, followed by two site visits to saibl clients that are in the manufacturing sector. It was evident that Mr Borns was very impressed by Amelia Women Project by stating "On the site visits I was particularly impressed by Amelia. She’s a great spokesperson for how saibl can assist entrepreneurs". Amelia Women Project has a staff compliment of 85 women. The company manufactures cleaning products and provides cleaning services to the private sector, parastatals and the community at large.
17 Sep 2010: saibl Presentation to the Cape Chamber of Commerce
saibl Cape Town’s Bertram Richards and NBI’s Gary Joseph and Paul Joseph made a presentation on saibl and the new South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) to the members of the Cape Chamber of Commerce on 15 September at Kirstenbosch Gardens. The presentation was attended by primarily black enterprises in the manufacturing, services and craft sectors, as well as representatives of the Western Cape Economic Development Department and executive members of the South African Black Entrepreneurs Forum. The response was very positive, specifically to the dual approach of dealing with demand through SASDC and supply through the saibl program. The new approach to supporting change and empowering buyers and suppliers was acknowledged and various follow up enquiries were made by attendees. 
17 Sep 2010: Stellar Winery Wins Coveted International Wine Challenge Trophy
saibl is proud to announce that our client, Stellar Winery, has been awarded the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Fairtrade trophy and a gold medal for their organic vin de paille Heaven on Earth at the IWC Trophy Awards in London. saibl has assisted Stellar by cost-sharing their participation in the New York Fancy Food Show, as well as upgrading their bottling plant to meet HAACP certification requirements.
13 Sep 2010: ZITF Participation Continues to Bring In Results
BMZ Agencies, one of the saibl suppliers that participated in the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) earlier this year, has landed its first export order to Zimbabwe. Kimber Agencies from Bulawayo will collect the order, made up of a haematology analyser, centrifuges and dental chair. The company plans to order various products on a continuous basis. BMZ has received several enquiries following ZITF and is expecting another order for laboratory reagents, as well as positive results from other recent quotations. Plans are afoot for a follow-up visit to Zimbabwe. BMZ Agencies supplies medical, laboratory and hospital consumables and equipment. It has been exporting to Malawi, Ghana, Namibia and Zambia. BMZ will also be participating in the saibl Trade Mission to Zambia from 12-18 September and expects to increase its export sales to Zambia after the trade mission.
03 Sep 2010: saibl Fact Finding Mission to Zimbabwe
The saibl Chief of Party, John James and Trade Specialist, Cos Mamhunze last week visited Harare on a fact finding mission. Meetings were held with the USAID Harare Mission, the South African High Commission, retailers, importers and hardware establishments. This follows increasing interest by saibl clients in the Zimbabwean as a result of their successful participation in the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo in April 2010. From meetings with various companies, it became clear that there was evident interest in products from South Africa. Key issues that were raised during the discussions focused on the SADC Certificate of Origin, the availability of samples and brochures, price structures and payment terms. saibl is recommending to its clients that they should take measures to obtain a SADC Certificate of Origin in order to benefit from the preferential status accorded by the SADC FTA agreement when exporting to other SADC member states.
27 Aug 2010: Artists of Africa at New York International Gift Show
With the support of saibl, Artists of Africa exhibited at the New York International Gift Show from 13-17 August. They have exhibited at the New York every year since 2006 but this was only the second time they had their own booth, the first being last January. The demand was high with a number of written orders and many new buyers interested in carrying their work. They are hoping more orders will come in for the upcoming holiday season.
20 Aug 2010: saibl Enhances its Social Media Presence
As part of the ongoing effort to enhance and promote saibl's online visibility, saibl has created a range of social media profiles in addition to this website. You can now visit us at any of the following:
13 Aug 2010: saibl Opens Liaison Office in Lusaka
saibl has appointed Mr Wellington Mabula as its trade representative in Lusaka, to help clients interested in exploring and increasing their exposure to the Zambian market. Due to the increasing number of saibl clients in the non-mining sector, it has become important for saibl to have a presence in Zambia (several clients are already doing business with Zambia in the mining sector). The upcoming saibl Trade Mission to Zambia from 12-18 September will also benefit from the establishment of this liaison office. Some clients are currently being linked up with business contacts in Zambia and discussions will be finalized during the trade mission.
13 Aug 2010: Foskor Supplier Workshop in Phalaborwa
saibl and Foskor held a joint workshop in Phalaborwa on 20 July for ten of Foskor’s current suppliers that have been registered with saibl. The purpose of the workshop was to inform them of the outcome of the Picking Sound Companies assessment on their companies and to inform them about new opportunities available within Foskor. They were also briefed on the next stage of assessment, the Company Diagnostics evaluation (CD), to be conducted by independent service providers. Of the ten suppliers, five have been found suitable to proceed to the CD stage. Foskor management reiterated that all invited suppliers would be linked to an opportunity, even those that were not eligible for a CD evaluation by saibl.
13 Aug 2010: BBSDP Network Facilitator Assessment
saibl is currently conducting assessments of Network Facilitators for the DTI’s Black Business Supplier Development Programme. The purpose of the exercise is to test the proficiency of selected consultants in the following areas: understanding of finance, understanding of business, and business writing and communication skills. To date, assessments have been conducted in KwaZulu/Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng. Preliminary indications are that 32 consultants out of the 39 have passed. At the end of the exercise successful candidates will be invited for training on saibl’s Picking Sound Companies and Company Diagnostics tools.
16 Jul 2010: Koopmanskloof’s Importer Featured on CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric featured Selena Cuffe of Heritage Link Brands, a wine importer determined to add more colour to the landscape of South Africa's wine industry. CBS Evening News interviewed Selena Cuffe and Rydal Jeftha, CEO of saibl client Koopmanskloof at the recent Great South African Wine Show produced by Wines of South Africa at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York City. This was the largest tasting of South African wines in U.S. history; 135 different producers poured over 700 different wines. View the interview.
16 Jul 2010: Reakgona Opens Chemical Plant
Reakgona Commercial and Industrial Hygiene is a 100% BEE Company, jointly owned and managed by Isaac and Nancy Modiselle. The company's core business is the supply of hygiene services, pest control, indoor plants, cleaning, fire fighting equipment and cleaning consumables. Established in 2000, the company has its head office in Pretoria with a provincial head office in Bloemfontein that services the Free State, as well as five branches in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Northern and Eastern Cape. In order to expand its operations based on the successful business development and exploitation opportunities available in the cleaning and hygiene services industry, Reakgona approached saibl for advice and guidance. A Company Diagnosis identified some areas for improvement and recommended that the company should have a backward linkage process in order to supply own chemicals that would contain or reduce cleaning costs. Based on this recommendation by saibl, a Chemical plant for Reakgona t/a Tshiamo has been set up and is now operational. The plant is producing over 75% of the company's chemical requirements. These chemicals have all been SABS approved.
14 Jul 2010: BBSDP Network Facilitator Applications
The Business Service Provider Unit at saibl met with the Department of Trade and Industry to receive the applications of the Network Facilitators for the Black Business Supplier Development Programme. A total of 108 applicants were submitted to saibl and they will be taken through a desktop assessment in the coming week. A short-list of successful applicants from this process will be presented for a sign-off by the Adjudicating Committee before scheduling interviews with them. The assessments should be completed by the first week of August. saibl also presented the revised supplier registration and AFA forms which were well received by the dti management. In the next two weeks saibl will be assessing and designing an organisational structure that will meet the technical and administrative requirements of the BBSDP.
14 Jul 2010: Amelia Women Projects Diversifying its Product Offering
Amelia Women Project of Johannesburg, Gauteng is the brainchild of Ms Amelia Ramphadi. The closed corporation was registered in 2003 and provides commercial cleaning services to schools, municipalities and private companies. The company has a staff complement of 72 of which 54 are women with a quarterly turnover of R175 000. A Company Diagnostic evaluation by saibl identified the need to develop a market strategy plan and to improve on sales, financial structuring and sourcing. The company subsequently developed a marketing plan and established a website. An accounting system (Pastel) as well as a payroll system was also installed at the owner's expense. The company has approached saibl assistance with product improvements (they manufacture their own cleaning products) in order to diversify by supplying retailers and the corporate sector with cleaning detergents. The product improvement process is nearing completion with SABS testing and approval.
01 jul 2010: Koopmanskloof Lands three New Accounts in New York
The saibl programme and Heritage Links Brand co-hosted a buyer's luncheon for Koopmanskloof Winery’s One World varietals. The luncheon was attended by Koopmankloof’s CEO Rydal Jeftha, Heritage Links Brand’s CEO Selena Cuffe, and three wine buyers that all subsequently placed new orders for the One World varietals. New York’s Willow Hotels added One World Pinotage and Chenin Blanc to their wine list; Gascogne, one of New York’s most popular French restaurants added their first non-French wine onto the wine list in 20 years; and Wine shop Gnarly Vines brought all three varieties onto its wine list.
01 Jul 2010: Mpilende Foods and Koopmanskloof exhibit in New York
For the fourth straight year, the saibl programme had a presence at the New York Fancy Food Show featuring its clients Mpilende Foods and Koopmanskloof Winery exhibiting as part of the dti’s South African Pavilion. The Pavilion included about 10 South African specialty food companies and was connected to the Trade Hubs’ Taste of Africa Pavilion. Mfundo Thango, chairman of Mpilende Foods was selected by a social marketing media group for an interview.
01 jul 2010: Direct Channel Holdings on the Move
Mahindra Satyam, the new brand identity of Satyam Computer Services has announced that its business process outsourcing arm, Mahindra Satyam BPO has entered into a partnership with saibl client Direct Channel Holdings, one of Africa's leading Business Process Outsourcing service providers.
04 jun 2010: Direct Channel holdings invests in Nigeria
saibl client Direct Channel Holdings (DCH) (Pty) Limited, a Business Process Outsourcing service provider operating in Southern and Eastern Africa, has provided Nigeria with a range of call and contact centre outsourcing solutions to banking, insurance, telecoms and retail customers. Read more ...
26 May 2010: South African Corporations Promote Supplier Diversity
The formation of the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC), a corporate-led initiative to promote sustainable supplier diversity based on opening up more and more procurement opportunities for South African black suppliers, was announced at an event in Sandton today. The Council members will not only actively pursue ways on bringing more black suppliers into their supply chains, but also invest time and resources in mentoring and improving the capacity of these suppliers to meet standards required by the corporate members.
Opening up procurement opportunities is one side of the coin. It is also important for Council members to direct their enterprise development support towards building up their black suppliers. Procurement and enterprise development are two sides of the same coin” says Gary Joseph, the Director of the Council.
The SASDC is the first initiative of its kind in South Africa, and seeks to mobilise corporations in a collective effort in promoting greater economic integration and participation as a national priority. Sustainable supplier diversity goes beyond the practice of just complying with the two elements of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice. Council members want to ensure that they are doing it for the right business reasons and as an investment in their long term competiveness and sustainability. More black suppliers means greater competitiveness in the supply chain and also greater access to rapidly growing black consumer market.
(Picture: A few members of the Steering Commmittee with US Ambassador Donald Gips and USAID Southern Africa Mission Director Jeff Borns)
The Council intends to create a national database of certified bona fide black suppliers to mitigate the problems of fronting. Certification will be done internally by the Council, to ensure the integrity of the process, and will focus on verifying black ownership, management and control. Certified black suppliers will immediately be accessible by member corporations. The Council will also run business opportunity and meet the buyer events between member corporations and certified black suppliers. Council will assist member corporations to integrate and take their targeted procurement and enterprise development efforts to a higher level based on tried and tested practices.
The initiative to set up the Council has been facilitated by the National Business Initiative (NBI), and is supported by the South African and US Governments. It is implemented under South African International Business Linkages programme.
"The NBI believes the real success of this initiative will rest on the active leadership, ownership and involvement of corporations,” André Fourie, NBI Chief Executive Officer commented. “A Founding Steering Committee, comprised of 12 supplier diversity champions, is currently charting the establishment SASDC. This committee includes individuals from ABSA, Barloworld, Sasol ChemCity, Cummins, De Beers, Ford, Foskor, Mondi, Rand Water, Sappi, Unilever and University of KwaZulu-Natal. Council members will be able to achieve so much more by sharing lessons and experiences and leveraging resources”.
The Council is modeled on the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), a US corporate membership organisation with nearly 40 years of experience in promoting and facilitating supplier diversity. The SASDC will be the sixth member of the Global Link partnership involving the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council in the US, the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council, Minority Supplier Development UK, the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council and Minority Supplier Development China. The partnership internationally promotes supplier diversity and shares knowledge, methods and experiences in support of their common objectives.
The Council will draw its membership from local and international corporations based and operating in South Africa, and is targeted to be up and running from July 2010.
"US corporations in South Africa can play a significant and leading role in supplier diversity development here,” said US Ambassador Donald Gips. “The relationship that the US government, through saibl, has facilitated between the NMSDC, one of the leading corporate membership organisations in the US, and local organisations is the kind of initiative that the new US administration supports due to its potential impact on jobs, livelihoods and sustainable development.”
For further information on SASDC, please contact Gary Joseph, Tel: +27 11 544 6000, Email: joseph.gary@nbi.org.za
07 May 2010: Adoption of Assessment Criteria for Recruiting of Network Facilitators for the BBSDP Programme
The assessment criteria for recruiting Network Facilitators (NFs) for the Department of Trade and Industry’s Black Business Supplier Development Programme (BBSDP) have been agreed on. A meeting between the DTI team and saibl’s Business Service Provider (BSP) unit took place on 6 May and agreed on the criteria that would see 200 BSPs taken through the assessment process, out of which 100 would proceed to interviews. The criteria set minimum requirements that a service provider should meet before they can be considered as an NF. The selected NFs will be tasked with identifying potential applicants, as well as conducting saibl’s picking sound company assessments and company diagnostics. This will ensure that only sound and deserving companies access the BBSDP funds under the new model.
07 May 2010: saibl Presentation at Hernic Ferrochrome Supplier Information Day in Brits
Hernic Ferrochrome hosted a Supplier Information Day in Brits, North West Province on 29 April and invited saibl to make a presentation. The main purpose of the information day was to increase the number of black suppliers providing services and products to the mine. Focus areas included safety standards within the mine, information sharing on Hernic mining operations, as well as opportunities available for black suppliers in key and other commodities. saibl made a presentation on its work with black suppliers and how it would be able to assist potential suppliers to the mine. Four existing suppliers were introduced to saibl for possible registration and are now in the process of being evaluated by means of saibl’s Picking Sound Companies Tool. The mine has agreed to refer to saibl additional suppliers that have been identified to take up new opportunities. saibl will then evaluate these suppliers for possible registration.
07 May 2010: Insimbi Heat Treatment Opens an Office in Gaborone, Botswana
Insimbi Heat Treatment, a saibl client based in Gauteng, took part in a saibl organized trade mission to the Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola, Zambia in July 2008. During this mission the company met with representatives from Botswana Rail who encouraged it to open an office in Botswana in order to benefit from government work. As a result Insimbi Heat Treatment Botswana was registered in August 2009 and a fully fledged heat treatment factory is now being established. Ms Liza Boggenpoel, Insimbi's Managing Director, attributes this success to the opportunities and efforts of saibl that exposed them to African markets. saibl will be identifying further opportunities in Botswana for Insimbi for the purpose of arranging meetings.
07 May 2010: saibl Shines at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston
On Tuesday 4 May, the saibl programme organized a reception for South African companies exhibiting at the annual Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas. Co-hosted with the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce, the reception was attended by engineering companies, US oil and gas companies, as well as companies from African countries of strategic importance to saibl clients and the South African Oil and Gas Alliance (SAOGA). The reception was sponsored by US companies Baker Hughes and Chevron, which SAOGA members and saibl clients met during the event. Mr Duncan Williams, managing director of Baker Hughes Angola gave opening remarks and stressed the importance of regional collaboration among African and US companies to further develop the capabilities of local service providers.
30 Apr 2010: First Participation by saibl Clients at ZITF
Five saibl clients participated in the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) for the first time. The Fair was held in Bulawayo from 20-24 April and is the premier international multi-sectoral trade event in Zimbabwe. saibl secured exhibition space for four of the five clients, and scheduled appointments for all. The clients that participated were BMZ Agencies, Mpilende Foods (Pty) Ltd, Shenka Industries cc, SA Beverage Industries cc and Xchem Chemicals (Pty) Ltd. These clients generated much interest at the Fair, mainly from Zimbabwean businesses interested in buying from them and representing them in Zimbabwe. Shenka's meetings with Glyns Bolts and CT Bolts resulted in the generation of large volumes of sales, whereas Xchem's meetings with Fabs Hardware and UBM identified good potential for future business. Harambe Holdings' Intertec Foods has approached Mpilende Foods to supply them with soy soups and porridges which they will package. Red Star Holdings has expressed an interest in the soups and porridges produced by Mpilende Foods and Impilo Products. SA Beverage Industries managed to cement its presence, especially in Bulawayo, receiving very positive reviews from consumers. Several medical supplies companies have approached BMZ for medical products, to supply hospitals, clinics and government tenders. A debriefing session with the Minister Counsellor (Trade) of the Zimbabwe Consulate is scheduled for Thursday 6 May 2010 at the saibl office in Johannesburg.
23 Apr 2010: SASDC Introduced to Procurement Practitioners
As a result of a series of discussions with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Southern Africa exploring potential areas of collaboration, Gary Joseph, Director: Corporations and Linkages of the National Business Initiative (NBI), a saibl partner, was invited to form part of the panel of presenters to address the delegates at the official launch and first annual conference of the CIPS Southern Africa in Johannesburg, 20 - 21 April 2010. The conference, which was attended by more than 450 delegates from across Southern Africa, was an ideal opportunity to introduce saibl's efforts in establishing the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) to a broader target audience of supply chain practitioners and decision-makers. The presentation was well-received and some delegates have indicated that they would be requesting more information to explore potential future involvement.
23 Apr 2010: saibl to Provide Training to the Black Business Supplier Development Programme
saibl met with programme management of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Black Business Supplier Development Programme (BBSDP). The dti confirmed that the proposal to work with saibl and ECIAfrica in training its staff and facilitators has been approved and funded. The proposal also includes assisting the BBSDP in strengthening its internal structure and processes, as well as with the design of the monitoring and evaluation systems. The programme is scheduled to be launched at the end of May 2010 and training of facilitators will be conducted from June to August. A minimum of 50 Network Facilitators will be trained and the dti has requested saibl to nominate a representative to sit on the Adjudication Committee which approves the applications of black suppliers to participate in the programme. saibl was involved in the design of the new BBSDP, which was modelled on the saibl programme.
16 Apr 2010: saibl Briefing Session for Clients Attending ZITF
Six saibl clients will be attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) from 20 - 24 April in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. saibl organized a briefing session on 13 April, addressed by the Zimbabwe Embassy's Minister Counsellor (Trade), Mrs Zhanje. Four of the six participating clients attended the session, viz. BMZ Agencies, Mpilende Foods, SA Beverage Industries and Xchem Chemicals. The informative and open meeting discussed issues such as investment security, finance and payments, inclusive government, two-way trade and anticipated support from the embassy. These saibl clients are now better prepared for the trade fair and know what to expect. Some suggested that saibl should arrange more informative sessions of this nature. A debriefing session will be held after the trade fair, this time to also include saibl clients that are not attending ZITF, but that may be interested in the Zimbabwe market.
09 apr 2010: Shine-On Polish's First Order for Namibia
saibl client Shine-On Polish received an order valued at R110 000 for shoe polish from its Namibian distributor, PSS Wholesalers. The order, to be dispatched this week, will be sold from Pick 'n Pay outlets in Namibia. This is the first order for the company following their participation in the saibl trade mission to Namibia last October. Shine-On has hailed the organization of the trade mission and has expressed an interest in taking part in a similar mission to Zambia which saibl is planning for the latter part of 2010.
09 apr 2010: Hot Sales for The Road to Exotic Taste
saibl client The Road to Exotic Taste, a producer of pickles, marinades and sauces, has secured an order with Shoprite Western Cape for around 10 000 bottles of Achaar per month, starting in May 2010. Only one product line was initially offered, but the order was increased to two product lines. This is a big boost for the business, which will now double its staff compliment to produce and deliver this order.
09 Apr 2010: Momentos of Africa's Products Featured in House Beautiful Magazine
Momentos of Africa was assisted by saibl to exhibit at the New York International Gift Fair in August 2009. Through this exposure orders were generated amounting to $46 071 up to December 2009. These orders came from eighteen new buyers met during the Fair. Momentos also met with representatives from House Beautiful magazine at the Fair. As a result, Momentos's ‘BabyMo’ products were featured on the front page of the magazine’s February 2010 issue. This magazine is distributed to interior designers and shops around the USA.
29 mar 2010: saibl Delegation Visits the NMSDC Headquarters
A delegation of three saibl representatives recently undertook a visit to the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) national offices in New York. The delegation comprised of John James (saibl Chief of Party), Gary Joseph (Director: Corporations and Linkages) and John Chitsa (SME Competitiveness Manager). The visited was facilitated by Eric Vicioso, the NMSDC Director of International Programmes, and arranged to give the delegation an opportunity to interact directly and individually with the NMSDC management team to gain a better understanding of the operational areas and activities for which they are accountable. The discussions were extremely fruitful and gave the saibl team a comprehensive understanding of how each team member operates and contributes towards the overall success and impact of the NMSDC. It was evident from the discussions that everyone understood and worked in support of the overall objective of the NMSDC - providing a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned businesses. The learnings of this visit will unquestionably assist the saibl team to create a local Council with strong organizational capability and operations that is modelled along the tried-and-tested successful recipe of the NMSDC.
The visit to the NMSDC headquarters coincided with an invitation from the NMSDC for the saibl team to participate in its annual Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification training. This training was held from 16 - 18 March and was attended by the MBE certification managers from all of the US Regional Councils affiliated to the NMSDC. Also in attendance was Natalie Walker, Chief Executive Officer of the recently established Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC), another NMSDC global link partner. This annual workshop is organized by the NMSDC Vice-President, Steven Sims, but facilitated by an elected task team composed of certification staffers from different regional councils. The participation level of attendees at the training was inspiring to observe. It demonstrated the commitment and passion of the certification officers and their respect for the important role that they play in certifying bona-fide MBEs, who in turn will benefit from procurement opportunities emanating from Corporate America. Furthermore, through this training process, the “gold standard of MBE certification in the USA” is further enhanced from the comments and inputs of the attendees to continuously improve aspects of the certification process. The saibl delegation is confident that the knowledge gained by attending this training intervention will ensure a solid foundation upon which the SASDC Black supplier certification process will be developed.
29 mar 2010: Fairplay Meets Fairtade Stand at Biofach
saibl client Stellar Winery attended the Biofach wine show in Germany and met privately with Gerritje Verburg, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality in the Netherlands. The Minister, a supporter of environmental sustainability and Stellar’s ‘Heaven on Earth’ label, requested the meeting after learning about Stellar’s organic and Fair Trade production techniques. News of the Biofach’s meeting was published on Stellar’s Facebook page along with updates on harvesting, the vineyards, and social developments on the farm. Social marketing tools were integrated into Stellar’s existing marketing strategy after saibl’s intervention in November 2009.
24 mar 2010: Apply Immediately: New York Fancy Food Show
56th Summer Fancy Food Show
27-29 June 2010
Javits Center
New York City
As a courtesy to the South African Consulate General in New York, we would like to remind you that applications to the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) for the New York Fancy Food Show from 27-29 June 2010 need to be completed immediately. The dti will cover all booth space and exhibition costs. Other costs such as airfare and freight will be on a reimbursement basis up to 80% of costs. Please contact Judy Snyman at JSnyman@thedti.gov.za immediately to save a booth spot. The dti hopes to brand this group as a "South Africa Pavilion" to maintain its presence at the Fancy Food Show.
- Please view the schedule of benefits under this scheme here.
- The EMIA Individual Exhibition application guidelines and forms can be downloaded here.
Produced by the National Association for the Speciality Food Trade (NASFT) since 1955, the Fancy Food Shows are North America's largest specialty food and beverage marketplace.
- 16,000 - 24,000 attendees
- 250,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more
- 1,300 - 2,500 exhibitors
- 81 countries represented
15 Mar 2010: USAID Team Visits Cape Town Based SME's
saibl’s Cape Town office recently hosted a USAID delegation from Washington DC comprising Martina Wills, Sara Bame-Kum, Joseph Terrazas and Pretoria-based Leslie Marbury. The programme consisted of an overview of the saibl programme and site visits to engage with the owners. Three key topics were the centre of discussions with the owners and the saibl team: What is the nature of the business and the challenges it faces?; What was / is the role of saibl in the life of the business and the value it brings / could bring?; What is the outlook of the business? saibl clients visited were: Direct Channel Holdings Pty Ltd, ADE Pipes,IMISO Ceramics and MRH Corrosion Treatment. Common value drivers identified by these SME's were the value brought by saibl through business linkages, exposure to international markets (notably by way of saibl-supported trade visits to the US) and constant opportunity for monitoring and support through the subsidies. This also highlighted the importance of the saibl trade team and saibl’s Washington-based CCA team who drive the exposure to international markets.
10 mar 2010: Shine-On Polish footprint in Namibia
Following their successful participation in the saibl Trade Mission to Namibia (19-24 October 2009), Shine-On Polish managed to appoint PSS Wholesalers as an exclusive distributor covering the whole of Namibia. Since then PSS Wholesalers have been working with several retail chains like Woermans and Pick 'n Pay to have Shine-On's products listed in Namibia. Pick 'n Pay has just listed Shine-On's products and the client expects its first order from PSS Wholesalers.
Shine-On Polish cc is one of a few black enterprises in a sector long dominated by multinationals in the shoe polish industry. Besides shoe polish, Shine-On Polish also manufactures tyre polish, as well as floor and furniture polish. 
10 mar 2010: Artists of Africa Exhibits at the New York Gift Fair
Artists of Africa received saibl assistance to exhibit at the New York Gift Fair from 25 - 29 January 2010. This was a repeat appearance and as a result, orders of $11 000 were generated at the show and are being prepared for shipping now. Exhibiting at this show allowed Artists of Africa to meet with important buyers from small to medium sized high-end gift shops and galleries, interior decorators, buyers for museums, buyer for zoos and a buyer for large retail group. The highlight for them was a visit to the booth by American Natural History Museum who did not only visit but also placed a trial order.
2 mar 2010: saibl CoP Appointed to National Small Business Advisory Council
The Minister of Trade and Industry has requested saibl's Chief of Party, John James, to serve on the National Small Business Advisory Council. The body will advise the Minister on a variety of issues, such as strategies to address identified market failures affecting the sector; the impact of legislation on small business; national standards for small business development and regulation; business infrastructure creation, skills development, value chain access; and constraints affecting the viability of the small business community.
Commenting on his appointment, John James said that he was humbled by the privilege and honour to serve as advisor to the Minister and the nation in this high priority sector. "I firmly and passionately believe that our country's economic development and success, as a thriving democracy, will depend significantly on the pace at which small enterprises, particularly black enterprises, integrate and become involved in the mainstream economy", said James. "My focus will be on improving the environment and space in which large corporations can play a leading role in supplier diversity through increased targeted procurement and enterprise development focused on black suppliers. We have to move our thinking and practices beyond BEE compliance to doing this based on sound business reasons. A nation that does not use a significant part of its talent cannot thrive. A corporation that does not have suppliers representing its market and citizen base cannot win against its competitors. Developing black suppliers without giving them opportunities is wasteful and counter-productive."
26 feb 2010: USAID Washington Delegation Visits saibl Project
During a visit to South Africa, a group from the Economic Growth Division of the USAID contracting office in Washington DC took the opportunity to visit a USAID-supported project. On 25 February the programme started with a saibl presentation at USAID, followed by site visits to Vacuform and Hartell Manufacturing, long-standing and successful saibl clients. The delegation was escorted by USAID and saibl staff. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about the larger concept of the programme and the delegation was impressed by the achievements of both companies.
26 feb 2010: Success for Eat Smart Organics at the Natural and Organic Fair in Cape Town
The Natural and Organic Fair was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 19 to 22 February. saibl client Eat Smart Organics had a booth at the fair for the third year. Eat Smart supplies cooked meals to Checkers, Shoprite and various airlines. Their product range also includes organic juices, which were on display at the fair. For this year's fair, Eat Smart was contracted by the CTICC to provide all the food for the restaurant inside the exhibition hall, as well as the coffee shop in the foyer of the centre. This has given them great exposure, and has resulted in numerous enquiries. The company does not normally sell its products direct to the public, but high sales of its fruit juice at the fair have shown them that this market presents a new sales opportunity.
22 feb 2010: saibl appointed as naacam enterprise development partner
The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) has appointed saibl as its official enterprise development partner. NAACAM and saibl have agreed to work closely in supporting NAACAM member companies with enterprise development solutions in diversifying their suppliers to include black suppliers. In response to NAACAM officially introducing saibl as their enteprise development partner, requests have been received from their member companies for saibl to make a presenation At NAACAM's regional meeting in Port Elizabeth on 25 February 2010. The presentation will focus on how saibl can support members with their supplier diversity efforts.
22 Feb 2010: SASDC Steering Committee now totals 12 members
Twelve organisation have now nominated representatives to the South African Supplier Diversity Council Steering Committee. The members of the steering committee are: ABSA, Cummins, Sasol ChemCity, Unilever, Mondi, Foskor, Barloworld, Ford, UKZN, Rand Water, DBCM and Sappi.
16 Feb 2010: Petite Designs Lauded as Leader in House & Garden magazine
saibl client Petite Designs was featured in the October 2009 edition of Condé Nast House & Garden magazine. In a reply to a letter to the editor, the magazine lauds Petite Design as a leader in the manufacturing of customised upholstery for furniture with more than 30 years’ experience. Contact Tel: (011) 474 8728.
12 Feb 2010: Inaugural SASDC Steering Committee Meeting a Success
Seven corporate representatives attended the first meeting of the South African Supplier Diversity Council Steering Committee in Johannesburg. This commitee is responsible for creating the legal, operating entity of the SASDC. The representative from Sasol ChemCity was elected Chairman of the Committee, with the Barloworld representative being elected as Vice-Chairman. The next meeting is likely to be a full day event, covering information for Committee members who have less background understanding than others, as well as key decision-making.
The NMSDC South Africa Committee also held its first meeting via conference call in the USA on 11 February. Most members attended and indicated that they were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to support SASDC. Members include Chevron Corporation, Cummins Inc, Cisco Systems, Coca Cola, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Johnson Controls, Merck & Co, Motorola, Pfizer, Shell Corporation, United Technologies and Xerox.
5 feb 2010: Artists of Africa Have Best Show Yet
saibl client, Artists of Africa, attended the New York International Gift Show from 30 January to 4 February following their participation in the Los Angeles and Chicago gift shows. The consumer response was tremendous with over $15,000 in written sales as well as many new buyers interested in their products. They had not planned on attending the upcoming gift show in August, but the American response to the products has them reconsidering. saibl supported the booth costs at this event and has supported Artists of Africa’s U.S. activities since 2006. This was their first opportunity exhibiting as an individual company.
(Picture: Darren and Eliisa Graney at New York International Giftshow)
26 jan 2010: Assessment of the Financial Literacy Needs of saibl SMEs: Results of a Survey by saibl and the USAID Financial Sector Programme
Late last year, saibl assisted USAIDs FSP (Financial Sector Programme) to conduct a survey to assist the programme (FSP) in identifying what information might help SMEs to access finance more effectively and what kind of information service would be useful to SMEs. The results of this survey can be viewed here (PDF 510kb).
22 jan 2010: call for entries: 2010 South africa smme awards competition
Do you own/manage an established small, medium or micro enterprise (SMME)? Is the business older than two years and is the business idea original and do you contribute positively to the image of business in Africa? If so, you may be in line to be honoured as the top SMME in South Africa.
The Africagrowth Institute is calling for entries and SMMEs can enter in any one of the sector award categories. Please visit www.africagrowth.com to enter.
22 jan 2010: BMZ Agencies Clinches Deal to Supply Medical Products to Easy HRC, Namibia
BMZ Agencies, a client of saibl's Namibian office in the medical supplies industry, recently entered into a supply agreement with a Namibian company, Easy HRC/CDTS Medical Equipment. The two-year agreement, starting January 2010, is valued at around R1.5 - R2.0 million per annum. The two companies are exploring more tender opportunities in Namibia.
22 jan 2010: Pan-Africa Health Proves Successful for Palmed
Palmed Medical & Surgical Suppliers, a Durban-based saibl client in the supply of medical and surgical products, has received orders to the value of +/-R100,000.00 following their participation in the Pan African Health Expo which took place from 17-19 September 2009 in Midrand. An agreement is being drawn up to reaffirm arrangements to distribute its medical supplies in Malawi, including venturing for a large tender for medical and surgical products for the Malawi government hospitals.
This was the first time the client had participated in the event with the support of saibl. The Pan African Health Expo and Conference draws visitors from private clinics, government hospitals, government health officials, medical professionals, NGOs/donors involved in healthcare and medical aids and administrators. Exhibitors include healthcare solution providers, medical technology and equipment, diagnostics and medical supplies, disposables, pharmaceutical products, surgical products and devices, medical IT and education and medical service providers.
07 jan 2010: saibl Client Receives Big Order from VWSA
saibl introduced QTec Moulding, a plastic injection moulding company from Cape Town, to Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) in East London for possible procurement opportunities. This resulted in QTec Moulding securing a contract with an estimated value of R350 000. The tooling for this project is already under construction and QTec should be delivering to VWSA as a tier 1 supplier within the next few months.
05 jan 2010: south african supplier diversity council formed
PRESS RELEASE: New York City, NY – The U.S. National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc. ® (NMSDC) and the National Business Initiative of South Africa, will partner in setting up the first South African Supplier Diversity Council. The Council will be modeled after the NMSDC, a U.S. corporate membership organization with nearly 40 years of experience in promoting and facilitating supplier diversity. In South Africa, supplier diversity will involve the process of integrating a growing pool of previously under-used and marginalized black suppliers into corporate supply chains in a sustainable way, using targeted procurement and enterprise development. The South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) will draw its membership from corporations based or operating in South Africa.
“The creation of such an organization in South Africa will provide a business platform for Black South Africans to have greater opportunities and participation in their nation’s economy,” said NMSDC President Harriet R. Michel. “Economic empowerment is one of the great equalizers, and I hope the SASDC will enhance economic integration and stability through Black business development.”
The new SA Supplier Diversity Council follows the establishment of NMSDC global link partners in Canada, the United Kingdom, China and Australia. The SASDC will initially be set up with the support of the South African International Business Linkages (saibl) program, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The SASDC will be a corporate led organization and will be funded by member subscriptions and services fees.
“The partnership between the National Business Initiative and NMSDC to set up the SASDC comes at an opportune time. South African corporations are exploring meaningful ways to support transformation that will enhance their competitiveness and sustainability, and underpin stability of this young democracy. The US and South Africa share similar histories, and it is an important legacy for NMSDC to become involved and to support the people of South Africa,” said National Business Initiative CEO Andre Fourie. “This relationship will provide us with access to the rich history and experience of the NMSDC and U.S. firms committed to supplier diversity that underpins our commitment to equitably promote South Africa’s economy and job creation opportunities. We need to deal with the ongoing economic consequences of the apartheid era, while ensuring that we become globally competitive.”
For more information on The National Minority Supplier Development Council ® (NMSDC®) go to www.nmsdc.org
For more information on the National Business Initiative go to www.nbi.org
The South African International Business Linkages (saibl) facilitates sustainable business linkages mainly between competitive black enterprises and large corporations in South Africa and the United States. saibl is supported by the American people through USAID. It is implemented by the Corporate Council on Africa, in partnership with ECIAfrica Consulting International and the National Business Initiative. www.saibl.co.za
The U.S. Agency for International Development provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance worldwide. USAID supports people's efforts to develop themselves and their countries. USAID projects in South Africa move the country closer to its goal of equality and a better life for all, and aim to strengthen South Africa politically, socially and economically.
CONTACT: (U.S.) Kim Brown, NMSDC, (212) 944-2430, Kim.Brown@nmsdc.org
(U.S.) Tim Bergstrom, CCA, (202) 263-3509, TBergstrom@africacncl.org
(South Africa) Nico Fourie, ECI, +27 11 602 1271, Nico.Fourie@eciafrica.com
(South Africa) Gary Joseph. NBI, +27 11 544 6000, joseph.gary@nbi.org.za
