MASS MAIL 19 OCTOBER 2009 - IN AFRICA EVERY PRODUCT AND EVERY SERVICE IS AN .....OPPORTUNITY

THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA
"Participation Builds Unity"

"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"

FDA NEWSLETTER

MASS MAIL
19 OCTOBER 2009
IN AFRICA EVERY PRODUCT AND EVERY SERVICE IS AN .....OPPORTUNITY
(All)

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THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA proudly presents you with the following information that may add value to Africa's development.

IN AFRICA EVERY PRODUCT AND EVERY SERVICE IS AN .....OPPORTUNITY

The future of Africa's sustainable development lies in the formalization of the SMME and SME.

(SMME being Small Medium and Micro Enterprise while SME stands for Small and Medium Enterprises)

Identifying these entrepreneurs and their enterprises is not the difficult part - capacitating these entrepreneurs and their enterprises to form part of the main stream of business (formalizing their activities) remains the problem.

Contrary to common belief, most SMME's or informal traders strive to form part of the formal sector and it is here that we need to face reality.

Informal trading will forever remain part of our society - as soon as one entrepreneur is capacitated into the main-stream of trading the vacancy created is filled by five new entrepreneurs due to the apparent success of the first.

Therefore formalizing the informal sector will largely depend on identifying the real entrepreneurs, with long-term aspirations, vision and the will to make a difference.

It is essential to be able to determine what products and services are serving Africa and where?

It is also important to add your product and services - no matter how insignificant - to our ever growing list of products or services serving Africa - it may just lead to a new opportunity somewhere in Africa.

See:
http://www.foundation-development-africa.org/products_services_serving_africa.htm

http://www.products-services-serving-africa.com/categories/index.htm

Should you already form part of the 'main-stream' of business, I highly recommend you 'profile' your business on our website - See:
http://www.fdapartners.net/com/why_participate.htm

Visit our current participants:
http://www.fdapartners.net/com/profiled_partners_logodisplaylist.htm

Once 'profiled' I recommend you participate as a 'page-sponsor' to ensure maximum exposure - See:
http://www.fdapartners.net/com/page_sponsorship.htm

Participate - be the change you would like to see!
http://www.fdapartners.net/com/fda_participation_form.htm

Take care
Peter

COMMENTS RECEIVED

Hi Peter,
This has been my song for years now.
I personally interviewed 200 microtraders n the streets of Johannesburg and found amazing talent, not all need money some opportunity better access to markets
I mentor for a large bank and have a mentee who the bank is closing he has had everything go wrong and not his fault, very depressed about it
Others we have done everything for and treat us really badly, that I refuse to deal with them anymore, but the biggest problem is there is not and industry we can engage them in, not every container phone shop is successful yet currently they are 50% OF ALL MICRO ENTREPREURS BUSINESS opportunity
I am getting old and tired and fighting the fact that small business starts with pop corn immigrates to fruit and veg [plus drugs] then a phone
Most people go home at that point
Good traders need inventory capital and working capital and that as you know will never happen here
No small business can ever become another Edgars or Pick and Pay because the bottom line is 3% of corporate business runs 97% of turnover in this country
R9 billion of products are imported by Shoprite and Pick and Pay of goods that can be manufactured and supplied locally cheaper than Chine yet they will not
1] ensure their orders are a financial, script like a LC when they buy from China
2] compensate for store deliveries, sale of return and other onerous fee structures from advertising to rebates which Chinese manufacturers are not party too
We can be cheaper but their mind set will never see a local industry developing God knows I have tried
I was told I was getting a million rand order, geared for it and when the orders arrived I have only R280 000
I battled to fund the raw materials and I started a Christmas bauble factory in RSA cheaper than Chinese imports in every colour and you do not have to order in February but they will not support the program. I have R100 000 of packaging and almost R1 million of stock which they did not eventually order,
I do not mind SOR or delivering and merchandising but I fail too see why I must also be cheaper than the China imports and have orders which are not secure are always given late and no bank will finance.
Gavin TONKS
South Africa