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The MAC (Manufacturing Advice Centres) Program designed and implemented to promote the manufacturing sector at small and medium enterprises level, has proved itself as a resounding success story in the development of the SMME sector in South Africa. As a matter of fact, considering the strategic importance of the manufacturing sector in the SA economy and noting the reverberating effect the MAC Program has on it, the Program could, with due respect, be regarded as the leading example of what could practically be achieved in the field of major SMME development in SA.
By rolling out manufacturing advice centres (MAC's) in the various provinces of SA, the MAC Program is able to provide financial assistance, guidance, motivation, benchmarking and facilitation to existing small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises in a professional and practical way throughout South Africa.
Having been established as a Trust in 1997, NAMAC (the National Co-ordinating Office of the Manufacturing Advisory Centres) bears overall and co-ordinating responsibility for the MAC (Manufacturing Advice Centres), BRAIN (Business Referral and Information Network) and FRAIN (Franchise Advice and Information Network) Programmes. NAMAC is responsible to the Department of Trade and Industry with which it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February 2000. The primary aim of the NAMAC drive is to boost specifically the manufacturing segment of the SMME sector in SA, because this sector contributes more than 35% of the country's GDP, providing some 55% of job opportunities. Because of its key importance to the SA economy, the SMME sector has been prioritised by the dti group (Department of Trade and Industry). This group comprises all the agencies and institutions that receive support in one form or another from the dti, of which NAMAC is one.
In August 2000 all the leaders of these organisations were brought together to form the Council of Trade and Industry Institutions, known as COTII, as part of the dti’s strategy to ensure a co-ordinated approach to national economic priorities and turbo-charged service delivery. COTII consists of 17 institutions split into three groupings: The Development Finance grouping, the Regulatory grouping and the Specialist Services grouping. NAMAC falls into the Specialist Services grouping along with Ntsika, the CSIR and others. In total, COTII has some 6 500 employees and an operating budget of around R4,5 billion per annum.
Against this background, the National Manufacturing Advisory Center (Namac) Programme is a partnership between Ntsika, the CSIR and the NPI to assist SMME manufacturers in improving their competitiveness and growth in the local, national and international market places.
To contribute significantly to the continuous economic transformation of South Africa by improving the competitiveness and growth of SMME's. Through appropriate SMME support structures we are supplying high quality advisory and information services to new and existing SMME's in line with best practices globally.
The Board of Trustees is currently composed as follows :
• Chairman: Dr Yvonne Dladla (Executive Director, NPI)
• Mr Neo Moikangoa (Executive Vice-President, CSIR)
• Dr Hoffman Maree (Director, Manufacturing and Materials Technology Division, CSIR)
• Mrs Wawa Damane (Chief Director: Enterprise Development, the dti)
• Mr Lefa Mallane (CEO: Ntsika Enterprise Development Agency)
The CSIR, South Africa's premier technology and research organisation, contributes skills, resources and know-how, and shares facilities with NAMAC. Ntsika Enterprise Promotion Agency provides promotion and development support services to the SMME sector. NAMAC facilitates SMME access to some of Ntsika's leading programmes. The National Productivity Institute (NPI) assists with planning and contributes valuable resources. It supplies some of the diagnostic tools used daily by the operational centres.
NAMAC’s unique business model accounts for its success. One of its defining characteristics is its strong collaboration with other programmes and service providers. The tools and resources that NAMAC has acquired through its national and international partnering efforts have proved to be the cornerstone. Namac is committed to and have a passion for our propensity to serve, so much so that "making a difference in the life of an SMME today" drives us to improve our service delivery to our intermediate beneficiaries who in turn deliver the service to our SMME clients.
The MAC Programme operates by establishing Manufacturing Advisory Centres nationwide, with the vision to supply high-quality advisory services to existing manufacturing SMME's, ensuring a quantum improvement in their quality, competitiveness and productivity. The target market is small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises employing up to 200 individuals. The roll-out of the MAC Program in the nine provinces has taken place through a dynamic interactive process between Namac Trust and its partners, central, provincial and local government levels and the private sector. Key to the successful roll-out has been and is the professionalism and dedication of the Namac staff involved.
In the heart of the picturesque and mountainous Eastern Free State, the quaint town of Clarens is found nestling between the Rooiberge and Mount Horeb. The environment casts a captivating - almost mystical - enchantment and while summer offers mild temperatures, winters do become very cold. According to Basotho legend, the mountain Setlofe (known as Mount Horeb), is a shy maiden. She was betrothed to the warrior mountain, Matsa (Rhebokkop). who jilted her for another. This broke Setlofe's heart and even now, when she thinks about it, she draws her veil around her head and weeps. Thus when Setlofe is shrouded in cloud, it will soon rain in Clarens! Today locals say that when the hadidas fly towards Mount Horeb in the evening, it will rain the following day. Be as it may, the town of Clarens was founded in 1912 and grew gradually through pioneering and often troublesome times. The history of Clarens is excellently recorded in the book Clarens 1900 - 2000 authored by The Rev. Piet Grobler, former minister of the NG Church at the town. Ample other literature on Clarens is also available. Characteristic about the town is it's sandstone buildings mainly laid out around the town square.The sandstone NG pastorage was for instance been designed by the famous architect Gerhard Moerdyk.
Situated on the road between Fouriesburg and the Golden Gate National Park, Clarens was for decades overshadowed by the economic development of Bethlehem, some 30 km to the north. However, especially during the past few years Clarens has blossomed out into a tourist destination par excellence and developed a regional economy of its own. While the Lesotho Highlands Water Project a decade ago created an economic off-spin for Clarens inasmuch as the residential township of Larola for employees at the construction site was established at Clarens, innovative entrepreneurship in various kinds of tourism products clicked in and turned Clarens and its surroundings into a tourist haven. This in turn led to Clarens becoming a much sought-after investment spot. These days weekend tourists from Gauteng flock to Clarens and surroundings, while it is also popular amongst Europeans and Americans doing governmental and contractual service in Lesotho. The spending of such visitors pumps millions into the local economy. One result is that the price of real estate in and around Clarens has shot up, while the current market value of residential property at Clarens is the highest in the entire Free State.
Art centre
Where else is South Africa would you find a town with at least 14 art galleries? This fact is indicative of Clarens as a leading art centre in the country. One of the entrepreneurs who this year opened a stylish art gallery in Clarens, is Hester Bergelt of the Art & Wine Gallery. She says the environment of Clarens combined with an atmosphere of relaxation, is the main stimulus for local artistic creativity. She also runs the Stellenbosch Art Gallery and hence embodied the idea of offering top quality art works together with renowned Western Cape wines under one roof. This fresh approach is evident at the Art & Wine Gallery in Clarens managed by her son, Anton. As such it is one of the tasteful choices the discerning collector and art lover would find at Clarens.
Business set-up
At present Clarens is clearly the top tourism centre in the Free State as well as one of the top emerging tourist destinations in South Africa. Especially the past five years Clarens and its surroundings have capitalized on their extraordinary natural endowment and developed a host of tourism product suppliers,including a huge variety of accommodation establishments, game farms, bow hunting on horseback, trout fishing, hiking trails, art galleries, white water rafting, companiable sidewalk restaurants - you name it. It is estimated that in and around Clarens, especially in the valley from the town down to Golden Gate, are some 85 accommodation establishments (B & B's, guesthouses, hotels, guest farms, lodges, etc), offering a total of over 1 000 beds. It is also estimated that the total tourism spent (accommodation, restaurants and cuisine, shopping, eco-adventure, fuel for visitors, etc.) in Clarens increased from R19 million per annum in 1999 to the current R45 million per annum. Other business development in Clarens is in tandem with the Swiss-like appearance of the town, including some four smallish rustic shopping centres with an interesing variety of upmarket shops, other specialising shops catering for almost every need, an absorbing choice of restaurants, an amazing choice of 14 art galleries - etc.
An interesting phenomenon is that some three years ago, many long-time residents of Clarens sold their homes at the excellent prices offered and took up abode elsewhere. Their place was taken by new entrepreneurial-driven residents, who started up businesses, began indulging in artistic production or just having good money to spend around. With Clarens becoming highly popular - as someone said, a haven for weary city dwellers and rich drifters - real estate prices sky rocketed. In Clarens proper a three-bedroomed house is unlikely to fetch under R500 000, while a vacant residential stand would cost you at least R200 000. In Larola, the former dam builders residential area, however, three-bedroom houses are currently for sale from R200 000 upwards. The low crime level in Clarens and the general good relationship between the various sectors of the community contribute to the attractive investment potential the town is offering. However the relative high level of unemployment in the black community and accompanying poverty is a problem. In general the indicators are that business is on the rise in and around Clarens, with inter alia two new small shopping centres under construction, new town and estate developments around the golf course, the taking over of the Brandwag Hotel at Golden Gate by Protea Hotels, the development of a ski resort at Oxbow, various new tourism products in and around Clarens itself, etc. A seasoned local businessperson like Mr. Ralph Burls and currently chairperson of the Absa Free State board of directors, reckons that economic development in Clarens is still on the up and clearly has yet to peak.
The challenges
Probably the biggest challenges that Clarens is facing, is job creation and with that socio-economic upliftment in the black community. The gap between the this affluent and the poor in Clarens is, like elsewhere, untenably big. In this regard more targeted projects need to be launched and seen to make a significant difference. One current project is the Clarens Skill Campus initiated by Bruce Weyer and designed to equip local residents with skills appropriated to the modern developing economy of Clarens. Another project - structured to be job-creating in nature - is a fly-fishing factory under the leadership of Garth Brook and expected to create 40 new jobs.
What can be viewed as another main challenge at Clarens, is the need for tourism product developers to synchronise their efforts, products and services. A experienced local entrepreneur, Archar Brownlee, is for instance of the opinion that the product owners should rather strive to complement each other than having too much of the same kind and thus creating negative competition. This is indeed a point to be well taken. A challenge that should also be broached here, is that of still better and more targeted co-operation and synergizing between the various populations groups at Clarens. In this respect the Dihlabeng Municipality and the District Municipality of Thabo Mafutsanyane,are currently taking promising initiatives, but the importance of viable results in the matter cannot be over-emphasized. Lastly, it is sincerely hoped that the character of Clarens, especially as it is embodied in its unique natural environment, will always be maintained and protected. The onus is on local residents to see to it that the character of Clarens never succumbs to detrimental financial greed.
Golf course developments
"On a crisp, clear, blue morning the final sun ray rose from the mountain's edge, revealing the splendour of nature through the bird's song, the water's trickle, the leaf's rustle and the ever rolling views of the Clarens valley."
- quote from a Clarens Golf Club publication.
The 9-hole Clarens golf course was inaugurated in 1992, largely on initiative of Ralph Burls, farmer and businessman. Set amidst magnificent views, the golf course has lately given rise to town and estate developments in the areas adjacent to the golf course. For more information Mr. Burls could be contacted at (058) 2561116.
Klerksdorp City hosts
From 20 to 22 February 2003, Klerksdorp City Council will host the Tourism Legotla 2003 in Klerksdorp in conjunction with the North West Parks & Tourism Board. The event will run over a period of three days, wherein the Council, together with the community's assistance and support, will be responsible for the first two days and the North West Parks & Tourism Board for the last day that will be concluded by the 2003 Tourism Awards gala dinner on Saterday evening. On Thursday 20 February experts in the tourism industry will address delegates from 9:00 in the Auditorium. Speakers invited are Simon Kerr Tourist Marketing Entrepreneur and the person responsible for the development of the Midlands Meander and Marian Brooke CEO of the Crocodile Rumble. Local arts and crafts will be on exhibition in the different halls in the Civic Centre. Arts and crafters are invited to be part of the exhibition. Visits to places of interest, including Klerksdorp Museum where visitors will be treated to mampoer tasting and an underground tour of the mine for delegates, are part of the programme for the afternoon. Friday 21 February marks the official launching of the Goudkoppie heritage site in Klerksdorp. A programme filled with African music and dance is planned for the day. Delegates will be informed about the history of the Goudkoppie and can experience the Tswana culture in the Tswana village. The activities end with a tour of the taverns in Jouberton on Friday evening.
On Saturday 22 February the North West Parks & Tourism Board will host their programme in the city hall. Paul Daphne, CEO North West Parks and Tourism, will inform delegates on the state of tourism in the province. Other speakers for the day's programme include MEC for Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Maureen Modiselle, Solly Matebesi, Director Tourism Development, Development Bank of SA and the Acting Director General Department of Economic Affairs, Development and Tourism, Kingsley Sehularo. Group discussion and Lekgotla 2003 resolutions will form part of the afternoon session. The day ends with the 2003 Tourism Awards gala dinner. More info from Annette Koekemoer 082 443 3394 or Cherel van Rensburg 018 - 406 8300.
NW toerisme groei stewig
Navorsing deur die Instituut vir Toerisme en Vryetydstudies aan die Potchefstroomse Universiteit toon dat die toerismebedryf in die Noordwes Provinsie sedert 1998 sterk gegroei het. Volgens Prof Melville Saayman, hoof van die Instituut, het die aantal toerismeprodukte met 100% toegeneem. Van die produkte sluit o.m. in hotelle, gastehuise, avontuuroorde ens. Die Noordwes Provinsie beskik oor meer as 20 000 beddens, terwyl werkskepping ook meer as verdubbel het. Daar was ook 'n stewige groei in die aantal toeroperateurs, veral swart toeroperateurs. Die bedokkupasie gemiddeld is 61%, wat goed vergelyk met die nasionale gemiddeld van ongeveer 58%.
Die konstante groei in toeriste getalle word grootliks toegeskryf aan groter beleggersvertroue in die toerismebedryf sowel as die regering se erkenning en befondsing van toerisme as 'n belangrike ekonomiese dryfkrag. Beter bemarking deur die privaat sowel as die openbare sektor speel ook 'n groot rol. Vir meer inligting kontak prof Saayman by (018) 299-1810.
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