Two-hundred entrepreneurs from Nelson Mandela Bay are expected at the first ever Uitenhage Despatch Development Initiative SMME Indaba.
The Indaba is hosted in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, and the Uitenhage-Despatch Business Forum.
The two day Indaba kicking off on Wednesday at the Uitenhage Town Hall - aims to create awareness about various government and private sector SMME support initiatives.
"Although a significant number of government and non-government SMME support interventions exists; accessibility, SMME readiness and awareness still remain a challenge," said UDDI's enterprise development manager Ayanda Ndinise.
UDDI will also use the Indaba as an intelligence tool to help the agency compile a cross-sectorial SMME database for the region.
"The Indaba forms part of several initiatives within the UDDI's new Enterprise Development Unit in an effort to assist with the development of SMMEs in the region. The unit provides SMMEs with non-financial support services such as a multi-sector business incubation programme, business advisory services, facilitating business registration services with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, mentorship support, facilitating skills development initiatives and referrals to relevant partners," said Ndinise.
