NOLUVO MGIJIMA
NEDBANK in collaboration with Avo Vision Foundation and strategic stakeholders hosted a grant funding handover ceremony on Thursday, August 14, to present operational tools and equipment to participants of the Matatiele Green Ventures Incubation Programme.
The 18-month programme established 24 sustainable Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Alfred Nzo and Joe Gqabi districts. The project co-ordinator Mpho Munyai said that the focus was on environmental restoration through the clearing of invasive alien plant species (wattle) and the beneficiation of biomass into value-added green products such as artisanal charcoal, animal feed, briquettes, biochar and more as a means towards financial sustainability.
He said the holistic enterprise support programme has yielded results with entrepreneurs progressing through stages of business development which include mentorship, technical training, charcoal making and a charcoal feasibility model.
“The support will assist small businesses to unlock opportunities for their rural livelihoods and job creation,” he added.
He said the programme creates employment, supports livelihoods, restores land and improves water security.
“This is more than a handover. It’s a milestone in Matatiele’s journey toward ecological and economic sustainability. We’re building businesses that restore the land and revive the local economy,” said Gabriella Makonese, Nedbank’s head of Portfolio Management. One of the beneficiaries was Zibusiso Vimbi, an entrepreneur in the Matatiele area, who was pleased with the opportunity to participate in the programme. He said that the programme will help fight water security issues and poverty in his rural community of Mvenyane.
