Taking up the Micro Enterprise challenge

6th June 2007

AGENDA

• Background

• Purpose

• Methodology

• BizAIDS partnerships

• Working together

THE CHALLENGES

The two major challenges facing South Africa are

inextricably linked:

• How to sustain economic growth; and

• Limiting the impact of HIV/AIDS

SUSTAINING SOUTH AFRICA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH

.

THE MICRO-ENTERPRISE ENTREPRENEUR

• Profit margins are tight

• Limited access to support mechanisms

• Many of the businesses are individually owned

• Particularly severe effects on women

• Often hard to reach and are consequently out of reach of educational and health interventions related to HIV/AIDS

THE IMPACT OF HIV/AIDS

• Women account for more than half (59%) of adults estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa

• A decline in productivity leads to a decline in profit

• Absenteeism is one of the first signs that something has gone wrong

VISION AND GOALS

BizAIDS will contribute directly to strengthening and growing the micro-enterprise business community

• Understand the risks

• Know the value of assets and liabilities

• Understand the truth about HIV/AIDS

• Find community service providers

• Protect the future of the business

• Prepare personal and business action plans to manage risk

• Understand the different legal types of business

• Plan for succession

COUNTERACTING THE RISK TO MICRO ENTERPRISES

HealthyFamily

HealthyBusiness

HealthyCommunity

BizAIDS PARTICIPANTS

• Business owners, employing < 10 employees

• Either be registered business entities or in the process of being registered

• Prepared to complete a questionnaire to establish the participant’s baseline information

• Preference will be given to women

HOW BizAIDS HELPS ENTREPRENEURS COUNTERACT THE RISKS

BizAIDS combines the training in

basic life skills,

mentorship opportunities,

marketing and basic holistic management training,

HIV/AIDS education

WHO DOES THE TRAINING

• The trainers used to conduct BizAIDS training have been trained by a BizAIDS master trainer using a BizAIDS training of trainers manual.

• To ensure consistency in the training of trainers the BizAIDS training of trainers manual is employed

HOW BizAIDS HELPS ENTREPRENEURS COUNTERACT THE RISKS

Within these four sections participants are given training in • Basic record keeping;• Asset management;• Planning for the future;• Sharing knowledge with the aim of multi skilling /

training and ensuring others can run the business;

• Inheritance issues and legal rights / responsibilities;

• HIV/AIDS and access to voluntary counselling, testing and treatment.

Each participant receives a workbook and a local resource materials guide.

THE IMPACT OF BizAIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

• Since 2004 over 1 100 business owners have received BizAIDS training.

• Gauteng, North West Province, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

• Team of 9 facilitators

– Experienced small business owners & facilitators

– HIV/AIDS awareness

– Legal / succession

THE IMPACT OF BizAIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Recent feedback obtained from entrepreneurs who received BizAIDS training three months after they had been trained

Improved record keeping 97% said “yes”

Sharing HIV/AIDS awareness information 90%

Cross training / additional skills training 90%

Shared business records 90%

Given thought to drawing up a will 90%

Pursued preparing a will 31%

Identified ways to reduce costs 76%

Begun long term planning 66%

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

• Process monitoring;

• Assess before and after training;

• In depth interviews are held on completion of the training to measure the participants’ understanding and ability to apply the training and training materials they received.

HOW BizAIDS CAME ABOUT

• International Executive Service Corps (IESC)

• SA pilot, which took place in 2004-2005, was also funded by USAID

THE FUTURE OF BizAIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

• SABCOHA exists to mobilise and empower business;

• The micro enterprise sector in South Africa is enormous;

• Train 2,400 micro enterprises by 2010;

• Looking to South African business to fund the BizAIDS programme.

BizAIDS OPPORTUNITIES

Corporatesand Funders

Developing partners

Growing the sector

MSMEs

Active participation

Empowering

CONTACT DETAILS

Daryl Wearne

c/o SABCOHA

Telephone: 011 880 4821

Email: daryl@sabcoha.co.za

Web: www.sabcoha.org

www.bizaids.org