The SAEEC SMME Training

Background

The South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC) has over the years developed training programs for the Small Medium & Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in our sector. As mandated through the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) the SAEEC identifies predominantly Black Owned (BOE) and Black Women Enterprises (BWE) and develops them as Emerging Exporters. These SMMEs/ Emerging Exporters undergo various aspects of certified training and awareness workshops. These SMMEs/ Emerging Exporters also attend exhibitions and conferences that expose them to international buyers and investors.

Aims

The SAEEC will focus on the sustainable growth of the SMME/Emerging Exporters through exposure to international markets. Our primary concern is to establish the following foundation for SMMEs within our sector:

Information sharing on international markets and “Doing Business” in selected markets
Training
Promotion
Exhibitions
Professionalism
Credibility
Quality assurance
Accreditation and certification
Education, skills and knowledge sharing
Encourage and increase participation of SMMEs in dtic funded trade missions and exhibitions

For more information regarding our SMME Training pricing please download our pricing form.

You can also complete the training questionnaire below and we will be able to provide you with the relevant details.

The SAEEC will provide Small Medium and Micro Enterprises with global trade information through compulsory attendance at SAEEC facilitated workshops and training during the year.

SAEEC Supported Training and Workshops

The accredited training comprises generic export training, and training created specifically for the SAEEC.

Training Facilitator

Linda Bird-Duxbury

International Trade and Chamber Consultants CC

Linda has been consulting with companies and government agencies on all aspect of international trade for over 40 years. She holds an International Marketing Diploma from UNISA and is an accredited facilitator and assessor with the Institute of Marketing Management South Africa.

Among these accolades she is also an international trade specialist with the United Nations, the European Union and the Canadian Government. She has developed training courses for both government and the private sector both locally and internationally and has numerous publications to her name. Based on experience gained whilst working in various international trade fields and through the blending of her extensive business experience and academic knowledge, Linda has developed a series of workshops that are both practical and implementable for SMME’s globally.

Pitching Workshops Facilitator

Malaika Evans and Zeno Jacobs

Moon.Lit Coaching (Pty) Ltd

Moon.Lit Coaching is a Speech & Drama Academy that specialises in confidence coaching, public speaking, and performance for people of all ages. Moon.Lit Coaching offers a diverse range of techniques and skills that allow for ease and confidence when it comes to communicating effectively. Be it in a board room setting, in a school play or on the world stage. Malaika Evans is a UCT Graduate who majored in Psychology and Drama and has an Honours in Technical Theatre.

Malaika not only has experience in the dramatic field but also experience in confidence coaching, public speaking and helping entrepreneurs in pitching business ideas to potential investors.

A growing global trend is for exhibitions in our sector to host platforms that support innovators and entrepreneurs to profile their business ideas to potential investors. The Pitching Workshop program is designed to prepare SMME’s for pitching opportunities that may present themselves as the SMMEs exhibit at international events.

4IR Technology Courses facilitator

Johan Louw

Aguru

Regarded as an expert in the 4IR Technology Field and keen to share his knowledge through Interactive webinars or classroom environment, Johan Louw currently based in Cape Town. Making use of slides that are made available to participants after the course. The courses are content driven with links to further learning, interactive with input from participants. SMME’s are encouraged to learn through exploration. Certificates are issued upon completion of courses.

All companies who make use of cell phones, internet, computers and other electronic devices are part the new world order of 4IR Technology. 4IR is about people, innovation and ecosystems making technology the enabler. Teaching SMMEs to make use of 4IR Transformation to enable their business.

Doing Business in Africa Facilitator

Isaac Nkama

Facilitation Africa

Facilitation Africa consults for South African companies seeking to enter, expand into or already operating on the rest of the African continent. In conjunction with their highly experienced local partners in other parts of the continent they assist in finding partners and opportunities in South Africa for entities seeking to explore mutually beneficial relationships in a variety of forms. They operate across various business sectors. Using localised and highly specialised knowledge of the economic, commercial, political and social environments in the different parts of the continent. The presentation is focused on advising South African based corporations on potential commercial opportunities to explore on the rest of the continent. It aids in positively understanding the real dynamics and intricacies of doing business in Africa

Having worked with major corporations, Isaac Nkama specialises in Africa expansion business strategy. He spent 8 years as Director of Business Development in the Africa Division of a Top 100 NYSE-listed multinational corporation and has held other senior and board positions. He is on the Board of the SA Institute of International Affairs and is a former member of the Presidential Black Business Working Group. Widely travelled, he has a practical understanding of Africa’s cultural, commercial, and political environments, has built a strong network of high-level business and political contacts on the continent, and has been an observer to several elections.

Important Statistics

The World Bank estimates that 600 million jobs will be needed by 2030 to absorb the growing global workforce. Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) play a major role in most economies, particularly in developing countries. SMEs account for the majority of businesses worldwide and are important contributors to job creation and global economic development. They represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Formal SMEs contribute up to 40% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies. The South African National Development plan forecasts that by 2030 over 90% of all new jobs will be in SMMEs.

Specific Training

Specific training that the SAEEC will conduct for the Emerging Exporters is as follows:

Introduction to the SAEEC Events Calendar and How to Utilise Support From the dtic and Development Finance Institutions

This is an information session and workshop developed by the SAEEC to apprise members of the events during the year that members can participate in with support and assistance from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic). The events covered during the sessions are: National Pavilions; Individual Exhibitions; Africa Focused Trade Missions; Outward Missions – Rest of the World; Inward Buying Missions.

The SAEEC will take the participants through the various forms of support as provided by the Export Marketing and Incentives Administration (EMIA) and the Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS) of the dtic.

In the second half of this session the South Africa Electrotechnical Export Council hosts a funding workshop which is aimed at keeping our membership base informed about the various forms of Funding and Government Assisted Schemes that are available to support and promote their expansion plans, particularly where these relate to export markets.

A secondary, but equally important, objective of these workshops is to provide a platform where government bodies, developmental finance institutions and the private sector can interact and collaborate on issues that will enhance business strategies, guide and influence policies and improve on the export support environment. The SAEEC invites key stakeholder such as the Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC), Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to make presentations about their various export focused product offerings.

Maximising Participation at Exhibitions

Customers drive our business. Successful companies are those that attract future customers and unsuccessful companies are those that do not. This is a very simple concept, yet it is surprising how many companies fail because they do not put enough emphasis on the importance of promoting their products or services. One of the most successful ways of reaching your target market is through trade fairs and exhibitions.

Companies however should be aware of the total costs related to exhibitions and participation at any exhibition, either local or international, must be carefully planned to ensure a return on investment. In addition, exhibitions can provide companies with excellent market and competitive intelligence if approached systematically. This module covers all the necessary aspects of trade fair selection, participation and follows up to ensure that companies achieve their objectives. The Topics covered will be: