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News
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The Southern Africa Trust and Solidaridad - Panel on Inclusive Business as option to make markets work for small scale farmers
May 2012, Pretoria
The international organization Solidaridad, in partnership with the Southern Africa Trust and Idasa, hosted a conference on "Making Markets Work for Smallholders in Southern Africa" on the 29th and 30th May 2012 in Pretoria. Discussions and presentations included a half-day panel on the question whether and how the option of inclusive business, i.e., the profitable integration of the small scale farmers in the value chain of companies, improves market for the small scale farmers.
Panelists of this session, like Andre Nel (Pick' n Pay), Muzi Chonco (SAB Miller), Mandla Nkomo (TechnoServe) and Kenneth Carden (Pleiad), represented the players of the value chain of agricultural products. The discussion, facilitated by Ullrich Klins from the B4D Pathfinder project of the Southern Africa Trust, focused on challenges, supporting factors and recommendations to make the concept of inclusive business a valuable option for
small scale farmers to improve their market situation.
To be satisfyingly involved in a larger companies value chain, small scale farmer need better access to tools, equipment, input and financing mechanisms. Prior to that, small scale farmers need a holistic training including a stronger knowledge on business skills and market mechanisms. Companies, in partnership with civil society organizations should provide these skills and coach small scale farmers through constant communication with the framers, beyond the companies' demands. Relationships between retailers and farmers need to be strengthened to create a mutual understanding of the needs and requirements of both sides. Small scale farmers also need to be better organized, for instance in cooperatives and newer models like aggregators that deliver market, technical, management, funding and financial governance support to emerging and smallholder farmers need to be more involved.
Given infrastructure, such as value adding markets should be used more effectively, for example through a stronger involvement of retailers. Finally small scale farmers and retailers also have to negotiate on shorter payment periods to enable the farmers to smoothly continue with their production and product deliveries.
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Kenneth Carden, describing the Pleiad aggregator project
Muzi Chonco, SAB Miller explaining the holistic training programme for farmers
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Responsible Business Practice for Development in Southern Africa
On 25th November 2010, the Southern Africa Trust will in collaboration with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Flemish Government (Belgium, EU) host a Public Dialogue themed “Business and Development: Doing responsible business in southern Africa”. It is the first of a series of dialogues funded by the Flemish Government for the project 15 Years of Democracy: A Public Dialogue Series on South Africa, Africa, Regional Integration and Development.
The dialogue will mainly give platform to participants to critically engage on strategies to enhance the role of business in sustainable development and poverty reduction by way of regional integration. It will discuss ways in which partners can strengthen regional integration in SADC, improve the business climate and highlight the relevance of tripartite partnerships for the success of responsible business practices.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mozambique and current CEO of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, Dr Leonard Simao will deliver the keynote address at the event. The Business Trust and NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) will be part of business organizations, government bodies, civil society and academic institutions represented at the event. Dr. Simba Makoni, the former Minister of Finance in Zimbabwe, will also speak on the business climate in SADC.
Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder is an innovative initiative through which business can contribute to overcoming poverty and achieving sustainable development in the SADC region. It was welcomed by business communities in nine SADC countries where consultations were made. B4D is currently hosted by the Southern Africa Trust and is headed by Dr. Prega Ramsamy, the former Executive Secretary of SADC.
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Zimplats, Anglo Lead Empowerment Drive
Golden Sibanda
HARARE, 2 November 2010 (allAfrica.com) - Zimplats and Anglo-American will lead a cast of about 10 local firms that will be first to embrace the Southern Africa Trust's empowerment initiative through the Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder programme.
Employers' Confederation of Zimbabwe president Mr David Govere made the revelation in his address to the Emcoz-Institute of Administration and Commerce joint annual congress held in Victoria Falls last week.
Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa launched the B4D Pathfinder in South Africa last year as part of efforts by Southern African countries to reduce poverty by including communities in firms' core activities.
The programme would receive financial backing from the Southern Africa Trust and has potential to transform the lives of the poor and marginalised. The Southern Africa Trust initiated the programme following Sadc's conference on poverty and development in Mauritius last year.
Mr Govere said initial plans had been to pioneer the programme with only six companies, but the need to cover all sectors saw the list being expanded. "We had wanted to start with only six companies, but we ended up with a bigger list to cover other sectors of the economy. From mining we chose Zimplats and Anglo-America partly because of the size of the operations and partly because of their resources to implement the programme," said Mr Govere.
Emcoz settled for Delta Beverages and Harambe Holdings in the manufacturing sector, Interfresh in the agriculture industry, RTG and Africa Sun in the tourism sector and Standard Chartered and CBZ in the banking sector.
The B4D Pathfinder is an evolution towards new ways of doing business while at the same time advancing firms corporate social responsibility goals.
CSR and its related rating schemes have focused more on compliance with various national and global commitments through companies' CSR or CSI divisions, without really enabling businesses to contribute to pro-poor growth and development through their core business activities.
The B4D Pathfinder offers a holistic method of doing business, transforming CSR into a more innovative and proactive role in seeking opportunities for business to engage with communities for everyone's benefit.
There is a powerful social and economic case for inclusive business as presented in the B4D Pathfinder as it enables companies with a supply chain to meet their obligations to the shareholders and other key stakeholders and at the same time, driving poverty reduction.
Ultimately, though, the B4D Pathfinder is about creating robust commercial relationships. The new thinking is based on the belief that companies can build bridges with low income communities and contribute to overcoming poverty by including them in their core business value and supply chains.
It could be as suppliers and consumers of products and services, or as potential distributors, retailers, employees (including shareholders, owners and partners in joint ventures), or even as sources of innovation in product development.
It also offers firms a way to provide innovative, development enhancing products and services to the poor that increase the company's market and profitability
The initiative presents firms with a model and toolkit through which they can identify a link along the value chain where members of the community could be integrated commercially in efforts to empower them.
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Annual PEGNet Conference: Policies to Foster and Sustain Equitable Development in Times of Crisis
2 - 3 September 2010, Midrand
The Southern Africa Trust's B4D Pathfinder team made a presentation of its project within PEGNet's 'Market Place of Ideas' at the Annual PEGNet Conference. With more 150 development researchers, policy makers, and practitioners originating from Africa and Europe in attendance, the conference was intended to exchange ideas and identify opportunities to foster development in Southern Africa.
The World Bank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) were amongst the development organisations represented at the symposium. It was also an ideal platform to introduce B4D to key stakeholders and donors.
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B4D Pathfinder Consultation with South African Business
On 23rd of September 2010, the Southern Africa Trust will in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) host a consultative workshop to introduce the Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder to the South African business community.
The aim of the workshop is to stimulate interest amongst captains of industry to adopt inclusive business approach to overcome poverty in South Africa. The workshop will also give platform to discuss the development of the B4D Barometer and the knowledge toolkit and share case study information on inclusive business.
B4D Pathfinder was introduced in eight SADC countries in Southern Africa. The SADC Employers' Group (SEG) within these countries was mandated to select firms that will participate in the pilot phase of the project. In South Africa, SAB, Vodacom and ABSA are amongst the companies in the business sector that confirmed their participation in the pilot phase of the project.
B4D Pathfinder is anchored on a tripartite partnership amongst business, government and civil society. While consultations with the South African government are ongoing, plans are being made to incorporate civil society in the partnership.
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Windfall for Botswana Farmers
Alma Balopi
GABORONE, 1 June 2010 (IPS) - Two of Botswana's biggest breweries are putting smiles on the faces of farmers. No, they are not giving beer away: the breweries are planning to buy sorghum from small-scale farmers at prices far higher than the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) is offering.
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Media releases
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Make markets work for small scale farmers in Southern Africa
On the 29th and 30th May 2012, Solidaridad, the Southern Africa Trust and Idasa jointly hosted a conference on "Making Markets Work for Smallholders in Southern Africa" at the Manhattan Hotel, Pretoria. The aims of the conference were to discuss and find solutions to market access barriers for smallholders and to increase their role and contribution in the agricultural commodity value chains in Africa and beyond.
The Conference was opened by Ms Annie Sugrue, the Regional Director of Solidaridad for Southern Africa. The key note Statement was delivered by Dr Prega Ramsamy from the Southern Africa Trust who set the tone for the conference by enumerating the various challenges faced by the small scale farmers in the region. He also analysed of the various commitments made at national, regional and continental levels to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers. These commitments, he said, were far from being implemented and, as a result, the small holder farmers remain within the vicious circle of poverty. He called for pragmatic and result oriented measures in favour of the small holder farmers who can contribute significantly to food security in the region and cited the case of Malawi which within two years moved from a deficit to a surplus grain producing country as a result of innovative and pragmatic agricultural supporting measures
The situation of the small scale farmers in the region was also critically examined by various stakeholders like the Agricultural Business Chamber, the NEPAD Business Foundation, the Land bank and FANRPAN.
In break-away sessions participants looked at the challenges and solutions for small scale farmers alongside the whole value chain of the commodities of sugar, cotton, tea, livestock as well as smart and sustainable land use.
Success stories, conditions and requirements for better integrating the smallholders in the markets were shared by the Vumelana Trust, the National Agricultural Marketing Council and the Women Development Bank. Cross cutting solutions, such as the concept of inclusive business or the support of the farmers with regard to governance, land reforms and certifications were discussed in breakaway sessions analyzing the possible impact of these approaches on making the markets working more for the poor.
The Conference agreed inter alia on the establishment of a network of all institutions working on issues affecting the small scale farmers so that appropriate synergies can be developed for policy influence and resource sharing.
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 Prega Ramsamy, Southern Africa Trust |
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High Level Dialogue: Challenges of Regional Integration for Poverty Reduction
A High Level Dialogue on Regional Integration was held on 3rd November 2011, at the Sandton Convent ion Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Dialogue was convened by the Southern Africa Trust (Trust) with the assistance of the Flemish Government, within the framework of the Flemish support for public discourse on regional integration.
The objective of the Dialogue was to look at innovative approaches to t he challenges pertaining to regional integration for poverty reduction. The Dialogue also provided an opportunity to reflect on the current model of regional integration in Southern Africa and its relevance for inclusive and equitable growth and development.
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Businesses in southern Africa look at how their core business can boost propoor development
Businesses in southern Africa are looking at how to increasingly include low income groups in their business activities thereby improving the livelihoods of the poor. They agreed to develop recommendations on how best to do this during a workshop on Business Development at the Bottom of the Pyramid. More than 20 business leaders from Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe participated in the workshop in Midrand, South Africa, on 11 and 12 May 2011. It was hosted by the Southern Africa Trust and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German government.
Regional economic integration in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including through easier cross-border business activities, connects small national markets thereby offering tremendous potential for low income groups to become more strongly involved in the regional economy. To tap this potential, stronger tripartite relations among businesses, governments, and civil society groups are necessary in the SADC region. This was the shared sentiment of the participants.
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Business leaders share experiences on inclusive business at the Bottom of the Pyramid
The Southern Africa Trust will on 11 - 13 May 2011, host a workshop on new models of conducting business that deliberately target low income segments of society. This workshop, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), aims at promoting growth through business development at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP), also known as the base of the pyramid. It will be held at Protea Hotel in Midrand, South Africa starting at 08h30 hrs.
The workshop, which will gather 30 companies from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, will during the two days examine the opportunities available for inclusive business at the BoP as well as the necessary enabling environment that will encourage the private sector to support the BoP concepts. It will also provide an opportunity for sharing of experiences among enterprises which are already engaged in one way or the other in inclusive business practices.
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Turning the Key for Responsible Business and Development in Southern Africa
Under the theme "Business and Development: Doing responsible business in the southern Africa", the Southern Africa Trust and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), with support from the Flemish Government will on 25 November 2010 host a public dialogue at the DBSA office in Midrand, South Africa.
The dialogue is aimed at mainstreaming poverty in the regional integration agenda and to discuss how business can effectively contribute to overcoming poverty, both at national and regional levels. The Public Dialogue is the first of a series of four dialogues within a joint project with the Flemish Government called "Regional Integration and Development: A Public Dialogue Series on South Africa and its neighbours".
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mozambique and current Chief Executive Officer of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, Dr Leonardo Simao will deliver a keynote address; followed by the former Zimbabwe Minister of Finance, Dr Simba Makoni.
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B4D to Take Part in Zimbabwe's Inclusive Business Congress
The Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder will from the 28 October 2010 participate in a 3-day EMCOZ Congress in Victoria Falls, in Zimbabwe. The congress will be hosted by the Employer's Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) in association with the Zimbabwe Institute of Administration and Commerce (IAC).
Themed "Inclusive Business for Economic Revival", the congress will give platform to government and business to discuss the role of Inclusive Business (IB) in economic growth. A high level government delegation led by the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai will also be present.
The conference will bring together major players in inclusive business; EMCOZ member companies, representatives of business associations and chambers like the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) and the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ). The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) will represent labour organisations, the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) and organizations representing the sectors of agriculture and tourism (like Agric and ZCT) will also be present. Key international organizations like the United Nations Global Compact, the International Labour Organization and Transparency International will be well represented.
Participants at the conference will deliberate on the role of implementing inclusive business and its impact on stimulating economic activity so as to improve the state of Zimbabwe's economy. On 29 October 2010, B4D will make a presentation on Implementing Inclusive Business. The event will also see the launch of the Zimbabwean Chapter of the United Nations Global Compact.
B4D is working in partnership with SADC Employer's Group (SEG), the private sector and many other state and non-state actors. As a member of the SEG, EMCOZ is a key partner of B4D in Zimbabwe.
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Catalysing Inclusive Business Action in Southern Africa
17 October 2010
On 8 October 2010, the National Business Initiative (NBI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) convened a workshop on inclusive business practices in southern Africa. On the same platform, the Business for Development (B4D) team made a presentation on the topic:
"Inclusive business facilitators and partners on the ground: How do they partner with business? What do they bring to the table?"
In the workshop, experiences were shared and lessons learnt from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The workshop focused on options on how best companies can be supported to put into practice inclusive business activities. Ways of implementing appropriate frameworks across the region were also discussed.
South Africa's leading companies, key national, regional and global players of inclusive business as well as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) participated in the workshop. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Business Foundation, Business Trust, SNV, regional Business of the Pyramid (BoP), laboratories and academic institutions like the Gordon Institute for Business Science (GIBS) were also well represented.
The need for the first southern African inclusive business network was acknowledged. Moreover, it was generally accepted that synergies with other initiatives will promote inclusive business activities in the region. There was keen interest from key players in southern Africa in partnering with B4D.
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SADC Employer's Group Ready To Drive Inclusive Business in Southern Africa
22 - 23 July 2010
The Southern Africa Trust in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) hosted a 2-day workshop for SADC Employer's Group (SEG). The aim of the workshop was to equip SEG, the key implementing partner for B4D, with knowledge required to mobilise companies to include the poor communities in their value chains.
During the workshop, various inclusive business case studies were shared; particular emphasis being made on their relevance to B4D Pathfinder. SEG members representing nine of the SADC member states in attendance familiarised themselves with the B4D tools (i.e. Barometer and Toolkit) and they assumed their responsibilities in the activities which will be carried out to implement the project. Participants examined the B4D project structure. A consensus was also made that the Technical Advisory Group should be central to developing the Barometer.
SEG will in consultation with other stakeholders select companies that will pilot B4D. National launches will take place once the Barometer and case studies are in place.
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Business for Development (B4D) Capacity Building Workshop
On 22 July 2010, the Southern Africa Trust in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) will host a 2 day workshop for SADC Employer's Group (SEG). The main objective of the workshop is to prepare to launch B4D within SADC countries.
The workshop will provide a platform for interaction to develop the B4D Barometer and the knowledge toolkit. They will also share case study information on inclusive business and identify companies that will pilot the project. SEG is the implementing partner for B4D Pathfinder that will motivate companies to adopt B4D and incorporate poor communities in their value chains.
The workshop is expected to build the capacity of stakeholders and share information that will guide the implementation phase of the project. A common roadmap for the next phase will be adopted and roles and responsibilities assigned.
B4D Pathfinder is a groundbreaking initiative of the Southern Africa Trust and SEG. It was launched by the Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, His Excellency Benjamin Mkapa in October 2009.
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B4D Pathfinder Pilot Preparation Workshop
From the 11th of May 2010, the Southern Africa Trust hosted a B4D Capacity building Workshop at the Trust's offices. Mainly focusing on implementation activities and resources, the objective of the workshop was to prepare for launching the pilot phase of B4D Pathfinder in January 2011.
At the end of the 3 day workshop, it was established that;
- There is need for a larger workshop involving the SADC Employers Group (SEG) which will clarify their role in implementing the pilot phase based on a clear understanding of the project and its deliverables.
- The structure and platform of the Barometer need to be redesigned to make it more user-friendly, simpler and relevant to the overall objective of B4D.
- An inaugural meeting of the Technical Advisory Panel (comprising of business practitioners and strategic thinkers) should be convened. The B4D Barometer will be presented then.
- A research should be conducted to explain the successes and failures of other inclusive business case studies. This will be part of the Knowledge Toolkit for the Barometer.
- Companies that will participate in the pilot phase based on clearly defined roles and responsibilities should be selected.
- National launches of the B4D Pathfinder Project should be organized in close collaboration with the SADC Employers Group.
B4D Pathfinder was launched by Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, His Excellency Benjamin Mkapa in October 2009. Following this, state visits were conducted to carry out consultations on implementing B4D within the countries. More so, launching the pilot phase in January 2011 will manoeuvre incorporating poor communities in business' value chains, a step to overcoming poverty in the SADC region.
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Business for Development introduced in Botswana
The B4D project has been welcomed with positive reception in Botswana and other SADC countries. National consultations with the government, business and civil society organizations in the region are ongoing with most countries committing to launch it nationally starting April.
The B4D Task Team met the Vice President of Botswana His Excellency Lt. Gen. Mompati Merafe who praised the Southern Africa Trust efforts for a worthwhile project aimed at eradicating poverty. He stated that Poverty eradication is one of their primary issues of focus in Botswana saying "you can't have pockets of poverty in prosperity". Responding to Dr Prega Ramsamy's presentation on B4D, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hon. Phandu Skelemani said that B4D is consonant with what the Southern African Development Community (SADC) wants.
Stakeholders met in Botswana include BOCCIM, the private sector, Botswana Council of Non Governmental Organizations (BOCONGO) and other civil society organizations. They will officially launch B4D nationally in June.
Other SADC countries that have been introduced to the B4D pathfinder include Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Swaziland, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
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United Republic of Tanzania and Swaziland welcome B4D with open arms
The Southern Africa Trust B4D project is in full swing with the national consultations taking place in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. On 30 November 2009 the team arrived in the United Republic of Tanzania to introduce B4D to different stakeholders that included the government and the business community.
The first meeting was with His Excellency Benjamin Mkapa who launched B4D in October 2009, to update him on the progress to date. Thereafter the Association on Tanzania Employers, Tanzania Chamber of Commerce and other business bodies were met. Following presentations and robust discussions, Tanzania set the timelines for themselves that would see the country fully embracing a new holistic method of doing business that engages with society for everyone's benefit. By end of January 2010 the Tanzanians will have identified sectors and organizations that will champion B4D leading up to the national launch that will take place in April 2010.
On 09 December 2009, B4D was then introduced in Swaziland where the civil society and business were met. In full appreciation of the concepts, both stakeholders expressed their eagerness to start the process nationally. They will officially launch the project by end of May.
For both the United Republic of Tanzania and Swaziland, people expressed the need for a harmonious partnership amongst the government, private sector and civil society for the countries to not only address poverty but also for the sustainable development of the region. They also echoed HE Mkapa's words that the time is rife for people to change mindsets and think out of the box.
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Analysis: SABMiller gives new meaning to home-brewing in Africa
Business Report
SABMiller's African division is planning to increase the number of farmers contracted to supply it with raw material inputs from 20 000 to 45 000 by 2012. The plan is part of the group's multibillion rand expansion into Africa, which is aimed at developing markets in a region that has been "the star performer" in terms of growth in gross domestic product since 2000 across the globe.
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Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder Launched
"This initiative offers a system that enables businesses to navigate an uncharted path to sustain their own growth and profitability," said former President Benjamin Mkapa as he launched the initiative, "while at the same time directly contributing to sustainable development in the region by including the poor in their growth path. It is new. It is daring. It is doable...and it is replicable. That is why it is called a pathfinder."
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Benjamin Mkapa launches Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder in South Africa
His Excellency, Mr Benjamin W. Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania will launch the B4D Pathfinder initiative spearheaded by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Employers' Group and the Southern Africa Trust.
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Aid is not the only answer
A year on from the Gleneagles Summit - and governments, NGOs , multilateral organisations, civil society and the private sector are taking stock of what has been achieved in the past year.
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Returns on the CSI rand
Corporate social investment (CSI) has, in a relatively short period of time, become a formal contributor to social change in South Africa. Its execution now legislated, CSI is beginning to grow in stature as a strategic imperative for corporates.
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Videos
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Regional Integration in Southern Africa with Dr Prega Ramsamy
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SADC Regional Integration with Dr Prega Ramsamy
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How similar or different is the Inclusive business model to corporate social responsibility initiatives?
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What about the B4D Pathfinder Initiative makes it of particular interest to businesses operating within the southern African region?
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What is 'Inclusive Business' and what mechanisms will you use to measure the performance of B4D?
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What is the philosophy of the business for development concept as far as the its partners are concerned?
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What are the innovative and attractive elements of this initiative, for business whose main objective is to remain, or grow, more profitable?
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Loaho Rraditedu
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Downloads
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Regional Policy Dialogue "Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) Development and inclusive Business"
The Southern Africa Trust, supported by the Trust Africa's Investment Climate and Business Environment (ICBE) Research Fund will convene a Regional Policy Dialogue on SMME development and inclusive business in Sandton, South Africa. The Regional Policy Dialogue is based on comprehensive research on SMME development and inclusive business in Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia and on National Policy Dialogues that have happened in the last weeks.
The Regional Policy Dialogue will analyse the commonalities and significant differences revealed in the five country studies and National Policy Dialogues. These communalities and differences of SMME development will then be discussed against the SADC Industrial Development Policy Framework, its relevant existing regional instruments and the concept of Global Value Chains. Challenges, success stories and recommendations will be discussed with representatives from SADC, governments, SMME-supporting agencies, larger firms, SMMEs, regional and national business associations, civil society organisations, academia and other players.
The Dialogue shall result in a joint Action Plan at SADC level, in particular with regard to possible amendments for the SADC Policy and instruments. The resulting recommendations will be used to formulating a best practice framework for SMME development with a long-term vision.
For questions and queries, please contact Ullrich Klins,
uklins@southernafricatrust.org, Tel : +27 (0) 11 318 10 12
Click here to download the invitation.
Click here to download the concept note.
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Growing Business with Smallholders BoP Sector Dialogue - Practitioner Workshop
The Southern Africa Trust, with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through its Center for Cooperation with the Private Sector (CCPS), is pleased to invite you to a Practitioner Workshop on 'Growing Business with Smallholders' in South and southern Africa.
The workshop will focus on the profitable integration of smallholders into agri-business value chains in the region. Larger companies and SMEs such as retailers, supermarkets, producers of food & beverages, and sellers of agricultural inputs (like fertilisers or irrigation systems) will benefit from valuable insights from the GIZ guide “Growing Business with Smallholders – A Guide to Inclusive Agribusiness” (http://www.agribusiness-with-smallholders.net/guide/).
The 2-day workshop will be held on June 25 and 26 at the Park Inn Hotel, 118 Katherine Street, in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.
For details, please refer to the attached flyer and agenda or www.agribusiness-with-smallholders.net.
The participation in the workshop is free of charge, however we ask interested company representatives to fill in the attached application form (also available for download at www.agribusiness-with-smallholders.net. Please send your filled application form to Mr. Tumiso Chepape (tchepape@southernafricatrust.org) until June 11, 2013. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.
We are looking forward to seeing you at the Practitioner Workshop!
Click here to download the registration form.
Click here to download the invitation.
Click here to download the agenda.
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RTT's Unjani Clinic Model
The following case study was conducted to gain additional knowledge for the further development of the B4D-Toolkit. It articulates business' experiences of steps taken to reach and involve the poor. It also identifies what challenges must be taken into consideration when it comes to looking for new markets and the design and distribution of pro-poor products. Access to health care plays a fundamental role in the economic development and prosperity of a country. Healthier communities are economically more active and productive, and healthy children tend to perform better at school, which in turn increases their chances of earning high incomes later in life. In South Africa, access to health care is, like so many other aspects of life, characterized by significant inequalities: While 17% of the population can afford to pay for private health care (usually of high quality), more than 8 out of 10 South Africans have no health insurance, and rely on an overburdened public sector to meet their health care needs.
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Standard Bank's Inclusive Banking Model
Standard Bank Group (Standard Bank) is Africa’s largest financial institution. Like all other established legacy banks in South Africa, it has, over the past decade, expanded access to financial services and provided affordable banking solutions to people living in poverty. As the cost base of traditional retail banking is comparatively high in South Africa, Standard Bank, like its competitors, has had to innovate in order to reduce the cost of providing retail banking services to the unbanked and under-banked sectors of the population.
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Doing Good Business
Business can play a key role in accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Southern Africa Trust's Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder focuses on 'inclusive business' as the most effective way for companies to optimize the social benefits of doing good business. Inclusive business is the profitable integration of the poor in the value chain of a company – both in supply chains and market development. A key component of the B4D Pathfinder is the development of practical tools for doing inclusive business. It provides a B4D Toolkit to support a company’s continuous improvement in inclusive business practices, providing guidance on what companies can do to progress from one performance level to the next and how they can do it. These two new studies of inclusive business in southern Africa present a case for doing more inclusive business.
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On May 11 and 12, 2011, the Southern Africa Trust supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur lnternationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ, held a workshop to identify obstacles of implementing the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) and Inclusive Business concepts that are specifically relevant for the southern African region. Companies actively developed a list of the major hindering factors and recommendations for the implementation of the above concepts based on the current regional integration approach.
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With the support of the Flemish Government (Belgium EU), the Southern Africa Trust is convening a series of public dialogues on "Regional Integration and Development", especially in the context of 15 Years of Democracy in South Africa. Between November 2010 and September 2011, the Trust will have organised four (4) public dialogues in collaboration with other relevant partners. These dialogues will focus on the following topics:-
- Business and development
- Cross border migration and social protection
- Food security in Southern Africa
- Governance, development and regional integration
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The B4D Pathfinder focuses on 'inclusive business' – championing it as an opportunity to create wealth and contribute to overcoming poverty in the SADC region by harnessing the knowledge, skills, resources and strengths of the private sector.
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The B4D Pathfinder provides an opportunity to mobilise the skills, knowledge, experience and technology that exists within the corporate sector to give businesses a real chance to make a big difference at the appropriate scale required to drive poverty down
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Speech by H.E. Benjamin W Mkapa, former president of Tanzania on the occasion of the launch of the Business for Development (B4D) Pathfinder
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The B4D (Business for Development) Pathfinder provides a unique opportunity to generate real development with the tripartite participation of business, government and the people to overcome poverty. This project is anchored on inclusive business, whereby the private sector actively involves poor communities in the company's core business value chain and its business development strategies.
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