Dear Reader

Welcome to the first edition of the saibl bulletin, our new monthly e-newsletter! In this newsletter you can read the latest on the work of saibl, as well as information on procurement opportunities, trade leads and enterprise support.  

We welcome your comments and inputs and hope to regularly feature your feedback in the Talk Back section.

Enjoy the saibl bulletin!

the saibl team

::: NEWS FLASH :::
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."

::: Diversity Briefs :::
South African Supplier Diversity Council

Twelve organisations have now nominated representatives to the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) Steering Committee. The members of the steering committee are: ABSA, Cummins, Sasol ChemCity, Unilever, Mondi, Foskor, Barloworld, Ford, UKZN, Rand Water, DBCM and Sappi.

The first meeting of the SASDC Steering Committee took place in Johannesburg on 5 February 2010. 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.

saibl is facilitating the creation of the SASDC. This Council is made up of member corporations wishing to work together to leverage resources and share knowledge, experience and practices in supplier diversity development. Member corporations of SASDC commit to opening up more opportunities for black suppliers that will be certified by the Council, and where appropriate invest in their development.

Interested in becoming a member? Read more on our website or speak to Gary Joseph or Paul Jackson at Tel: +27 11 544 6000.

::: Trade Talk :::
Web 2.0: Nothing To Wine About

This article was featured in the February 2010 edition of the The Corporate
Council on Africa's Africa eJournal.

South African International Business Linkages (saibl) programme at CCA and Georgetown University's Center for Social Impact Communications (CSIC) are providing two Georgetown students, Jackie Titus and Jacqueline Sibanda, with an applied learning experience in developing and implementing a digital communication strategy for Stellar Organic Winery, a South African black-owned small business that receives support from saibl. The students tailored a web-based information-sharing strategy to introduce Stellar to digital media to market its wines and solicit feedback from consumers.

"The introduction of Web 2.0 innovation into saibl can provide our businesses with another business linkages platform," explains saibl director Tim Bergstrom. "USAID has given us a mandate to facilitate business linkages, and this initiative enhances our existing model and the value that we can provide our companies."

Stellar was a natural pilot company, having demonstrated a successful business model of using its profits to better the community. CSIC's deputy director Jennifer Gilman explains that the Stellar project connected elements from the classroom to the actual business. Tools such as blogs, wikis, online social networks, and online video provided Titus and Sibanda with the opportunity to work on a powerful Corporate Social Responsibility communications project learning from and engaging with a South African business.

"It was a valuable opportunity to apply learning from our Global Communications in the Age of Social Media class," explains Sibanda. "Stellar is a real brand with real sales goals, so we will have the opportunity to see the impact of our work on their bottom line and reputation in the U.S."

In today's economic climate, businesses sometimes treat communications as an afterthought rather than a strategic tool. For Stellar, digital media is another tool to attract customers, avert potential public-relations misunderstanding, and steer customers to the company's homepage. Stellar's wines lend themselves to better company-client relationships. After all, what better way to cross the great divide from one-way to two-way communications than over a bottle of wine?

In this issue:

• Diversity Briefs
• Trade Talk
• Trade Events
• Enterprise Support
• Service Providers
• saibl@work
• Talk Back

::: saibl@work :::
Company Diagnostic Tool

The saibl company diagnostic tool provides an independent, systematic and objective view of a business, and acts as an x-ray in revealing the company's strengths and areas for improvement.

Most companies have a number of competing needs. The owners sometimes have difficulty in deciding which to tackle first and in distinguishing symptoms from the real problems. The company diagnostic process assists to objectively identify real problems and to address them in a logical and cost effective way, that will add value. The company diagnostic (CD) helps saibl and consultants to quickly understand the operations of a company and to provide the right type of support.

The essential steps in completing a meaningful CD include:

::.. The owners being satisfied and convinced of the need and value of doing a CD

::.. The owners making available information necessary for the CD, including financial statements

::.. The owners and managers investing the time and being available to take part willingly

::.. Site visits and interviews with the owners and managers

::.. Honest, open discussions with owners and managers, to build a consensus on key issues and findings

::.. Agreement and commitment to take action on areas for improvement

saibl generally covers the cost of a CD or it may be done on a cost-sharing basis. It may also form part of the cost-sharing arrangements for follow-up interventions. saibl has the final decision on cost-sharing.

saibl is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The programme is implemented by the Corporate Council on Africa, ECIAfrica and the National Business Initiative under a strategic partnership agreement with the Department of Trade and Industry.

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