Associations
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
CAN BOOST INDUSTRY
By Master Builders Association Western Cape
According to Statistics SA, the construction industry in South Africa is
firmly in recession, contracting for the fourth quarter in a row.
www.hvacronline.co.za
H
owever, there is cause for optimism with the government’s
economic stimulus plan reported to inject billions into
infrastructure development. Should this come into play, there
will be increased opportunities for local small- and medium-
sized enterprises (SMMEs) that will ultimately be supporting big
business in managing the anticipated uptick.
“It is vital that we make sure our SMMEs in the industry are
primed, armed and ready to hit the ground running and we are
already making inroads in this space,” says Anthony Keal, group
skills facilitator at Master Builders Association Western Cape
(MBAWC).
“In November 2018, we announced the launch of our
Entrepreneurship for Contractors Development Programme, which
is hosted in partnership with the University of the Western Cape’s
Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Our goals were to
equip established entrepreneurs operating in our sector with the
skills they need to successfully run their own businesses and in
October 2019 we celebrated the first of our course graduates.”
“Over the past six months, the programme has empowered
entrepreneurs by upskilling their understanding in various key
areas, including: running a small business, pricing and claims,
human resources, health and safety, contractual and legal
requirements in the workplace and running an efficient project.
These were examined through individual as well as group
assignments and assessments.”
“These are skills usually learned over time, but which are
vital to SMME success in the construction industry. What we’re
effectively offering delegates is an opportunity to leapfrog
their business growth plans by quite a margin,” he says. Keal
points out that the feedback from entrepreneurs that attended
the first six-month course is testament to the importance of
programmes like this.
Faith Mabena, director of Nokhanya Services, says that the
MBA Development Programme advanced her understanding
and capabilities in the management of contracts and in health
and safety. “The programme was detailed and informative,”
she says. “I’ve left with a comprehensive understanding
around the importance of contracts including the types of
contracts used in construction (NEC, JBCC, FIDIC) and how to
negotiate them effectively.
“I’m now better at project costing and management and have
learned the importance of risk analysis when it comes to personal
protection equipment and employees, their health and safety on
site, and ensuring all of our employees go home safely at the end
of the day.”
Another entrepreneur who feels he has benefitted from being
a part of the first programme is Carlo Moosa, who inherited his
love for construction from his father. “Through participating in the
programme, I realised how little I actually understood when it came
to running a business, most specifically regarding labour law.
“All of the course elements were useful and in construction,
education must be ongoing, but I could have used the skills I
learned in labour law when managing internal disputes we’ve
faced in the past,” he says. “I’d recommend that all small
construction business owners participate in the programme
– there are lessons here that would usually take us years to grasp.”
When asked for his thoughts on the construction industry
and its relationship with entrepreneurs, Shukry Essa says, “The
building industry, as I see it, has only one way to go and that’s up,
but it is through access to programmes like this that the industry
will be mended and restored to its former glory.”
The second programme kicked off in February 2020 with
continued focus on empowering the construction industry
through the development of SMMEs and the MBAWC anticipates
similar feedback from its next group of course participants. RACA
RACA Journal I February 2020
Entrepreneurship
for Contractors
Development
Programme
from MBAWC is
assisting young
entrepreneurs
to flourish in the
construction
industry.
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