Forty SMEs have completed what was the first round of intakes of the new National Gazelles programme that forms part of the government’s efforts to support the country’s SME sector.
The companies were hand-picked out of 200 finalists with the aim of turning them into the next black industrialists. Through the programme, the hope is to produce high-growth businesses that will make a dent in the country’s rising unemployment and help grow the economy.
The program is expected to offer intensive support to the SMEs with the objective of assisting them achieve accelerated growth through what the programme calls ‘tailored high-impact interventions’ while also being assisted with access to funding as well as access to opportunities and influencers out of the reach of most start-up entrepreneurs.
The gazelles were announced recently in an event attended by both the government and private sector where mobile giant MTN also declared a R 2,5 million grant per annum for the next three years.
About the Programme
The programme was officially launched in June 2015 and is led by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda). The 10-year initiative is directed at businesses which are South African-owned, that have a track record of two years and over and have a turnover of between R 1 to R 30 million.
The National Gazelles is also focusing on startups within 10 industry sectors – agriculture and agri-processing, construction, energy and the green economy, health and bio-sciences, information and communication technologies, manufacturing, media marketing and creative industries, mining, metals and engineering, tourism as well as transport and logistics.
To give an idea of the kinds of businesses that have made it into the National Gazelles’ inaugural top 40 cohort, SME South Africa takes a look at 10 of the SMEs from vastly different industries, geographical locations as well as turnover brackets that show why the Gazelles are worth keeping an eye on.
ENERGY AND THE GREEN ECONOMY
Industry: Energy and Green Economy
Nature of Business: Solar Energy, Water and Urban Cleaning Solutions
Turnover: R2.5m – R5m
Province: Free State
iGREENs provides eco-friendly energy solutions including solar energy, water solutions and urban cleaning solutions throughout South Africa for commercial, industrial, agricultural sectors and household use.
Congretype Green Energy Solutions
Industry: Energy and Green Economy
Nature of Business: Green and Renewable Energy Manufacturing
Turnover: R20m – R30m
Province: North West
Congretype Green Energy Solutions was established in 2009 to help meet the energy demand needs caused by the Eskom Grid constraints. The company’s focus areas include; energy efficiency, regenerative energy, waste-to-energy conversion, biofuels, and solar-systems manufacturing.
Other SMEs in the category: Urth Garden Centre; Gridbow Engineers and Technical Services and Cybronix.
HEALTH AND BIO-SCIENCES
Newtricion
Industry: Health and Bio-Sciences
Nature of Business: Dietetics
Turnover: R 2 – R 2,5 million
Province: Kwazulu-Natal
Newtricion is a dietician practice in KZN, working within 6 private hospitals and servicing a large outpatient area. The aim for Newtricion is to ensure patients meet their nutrition requirements for their ailments. The company also focuses on intensive care nutrition and communicable and non-communicable diseases (HIV, diabetes, hypertension etc).
Newtricion provides personalized solutions for employee wellness focusing on preventative health screening and early treatment to allow for better outcomes of treatment. Newtricion also provides food services to private healthcare facilities.
Natural Medicinal Services
Industry: Health and Bio-Sciences
Nature of Business: Natural Herbal Products
Turnover: R 2 – R 2,5 million
Province: Gauteng
Natural Medicinal Services has a product range that include herbal medicinal preparations for chronic ailments such as medicinal herbal tea blends, immune system boosting herbal medicines, herbal tablets for chronic ailments, herbal consumable, herbal medicated ointments, herbal hair treatments as well as a range of over 150 simplex herbs.
Other SMEs in the category: Deline Investments and Elim.
MANUFACTURING
Industry: Manufacturing
Nature of Business: Footwear and apparel
Turnover: R 7,5 – R 10 million
Province: Eastern Cape
Fred Footwear is a footwear manufacturing and retail company situated in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The company designs and manufactures genuine leather footwear products for men, women and school kids.
In addition, the company is able to accommodate both small and large manufacturing requests. It also maintains a workforce, which comprises of skilled, and semi-skilled labour as well as the physically disabled.
Umzungulu Windows
Industry: Industry: Manufacturing
Nature of Business: Steel Windows and Door Frames
Turnover: R 10 – R 15 million
Province: Kwazulu Natal
Umzungulu Windows (Pty) Limited is a privately owned company based in the Kwazulu-Natal region with a team of over 25 employees in the factory. The company specializes in the manufacture of steel windows and door frames of various sizes with a particular focus on the growing demand for frames used in low-cost housing.
Other SMEs in the category: National Adhesive Manufacturers; Amphiguard Brickyard; Tshete Holdings; Prothane Industrial; Eco Furniture Design; Bronscor and Signs4sa.
MINING, METALS AND ENGINEERING
Industry: Mining, Metals and Engineering
Nature of Business: Mechanical Engineering
Turnover: R 1 – R 1,5 million
Province: Mpumalanga
Brimis Engineering is a specialised black youth-owned, black woman-owned mechanical engineering firm. Brimis offers a range of mechanical engineering services to the energy, mining, construction, manufacturing and government sectors.
Industry: Mining, Metals and Engineering
Nature of Business: Mining Services
Turnover: R 10 – R 15 million
Province: North West
Modi Mining CC offers differentiated contract mining services and aims to be a supplier of choice for the Mining industry. Their services include underground services, contract mining, underground construction, rail installations, services pipes installations, power cable suspension, box front installations, grizzlies installations, secondary support, wire mesh and lacing, spillage handling, haulage maintenance and blast consult service.
AGRICULTURE AND AGRO-PROCESSING
Industry: Agriculture and Agro-Processing
Nature of Business: Dates Processing and Wholesaler
Turnover: R 7,5 – R 10 million
Province: Kwazulu Natal
Fawakhe are packers and processors of premium dates and related products to the retail and wholesale sectors in South Africa and the neighbouring countries. The company represent the largest growers of dates from Southern Africa.
Industry: Agriculture and Agro-processing
Nature of Business: Convenient Lifestyle Foods
Turnover:R 7,5 – R 10 million
Province: Western Cape
Comessa Food Services is a 100% black-owned family business with a team of 36 employees. The company was established in 2005 and is based in Wynberg, Cape Town. Originally producing flavoured popcorn Comessa has expanded its product line to manufacturing ‘flatbreads of the world’, such as flamed baked Mexican tortilla wraps, Indian roti’s, naan and pizza’s.
Here are the rest of the SMEs in the other 5 sectors.
CONSTRUCTION
Flat-Foot Engineering; Ordained Trading; TCM Developments; Lakeshore Trading; MCE Fabrication & Construction; Ugesi Africa Consulting and Daph M Trading.
MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTING
TOURISM
The Vaalnest Boutique Hotel and Tzaneen Country Lodge.
TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS
Hugo’s Speed Shop and DC Mobile.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Memeza Shout Crime Prevention; WAM Technology; Digital Republic Consulting; Bayajula; X Spark and LAN Telecoms.
