Economic Development Annual Report

Annual Report 2023/2024 Mpumalanga: Department of Economic Development and Tourism - Vote 6

4.2 Programme 2: Integrated Economic Development Services Purpose of the Programme: To stimulate economic growth through the promotion of HDIs and stimulate economic growth in the Province. The Programme consists of the following sub-Programmes: • Enterprise Development • Economic Empowerment • Local Economic Development The Programme contributes towards the ‘Inclusive, diversified and growing economy’ institutional outcome, as per the Annual Performance Plan. Outcomes, Outputs, Output Indicators, Targets and Actual Achievements The Department continued to promote and support an enabling business environment and ecosystem that enables small business to grow and develop; facilitate the process of empowerment, as well as promote economic growth and development of regional and local economies which is critical for economic growth and job creation. Overall, the Programme which comprises the sub-programmes, Enterprise Development, Economic Empowerment and Regional and Local Economic Development, assisted in providing access to markets, capacity building, inculcating a culture of entrepreneurship with the associated pipeline of potential entrants drawn from various initiatives, business development support and sustainable procurement. These initiatives contributed towards job creation and the expansion of businesses by enabling them to inter alia, move up in the value chains within sectors such as green economy, manufacturing, mining and the township economy. The Programme was also successful in supporting cooperatives in the waste management sector of the Green Economy, hair salons and spaza shops with safety wear equipment and basic business skills management. The supported cooperatives included woman, and youth owned businesses. The Programme supported local businesses with the purpose of revitalizing the Township Economy by providing support to black owned tyre businesses. The black owned tyre outlets were provided support through training (business management and technical training), access to trye stock, as well as branding in partnership with MerSeta and Sumitomo Rubber SA. Support was also provided to manufacturing companies with the potential to participate in the Black Industrialist Programme. The Programme successfully established the Provincial Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council which comprise of stakeholders from industry, organised business, organised labour and members of the civil society to support government in the implementation of Economic Transformation. The Programme also facilitated the provision of business infrastructure and reduction of the cost of doing business for SMME’s by achieving all these targets has contributed towards the Department strategic outcome orientated goals, which will invariably impact on the strategic priorities of government.

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