CAPE TOWN - An initiative by Growthpoint Properties will benefit fourteen small business in Cape Town from strategic development and help contribute to the region’s economy and job creation.
The 14 businesses joined Property Point’s enterprise and supplier development programme this month as part of its latest intake.
The businesses will deliver services to the property industry such as painting electrical work, building maintenance, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection, steel works, cleaning, renovations, tenant installations and plumbing.
Property Point will support them to grow, build good reputations, access market opportunities, and use innovation to become sustainable concerns that benefit the entire property sector and stimulate the economy as a whole.
Shawn Theunissen, the head of corporate social responsibility at Growthpoint Properties and founder of Property Point, said developing entrepreneurs and advancing small businesses in the firm’s supply chain was imperative for Growthpoint.
“Development programmes improve supplier performance and add value to supply chains in a proven win-win for both small and big businesses. It fosters transformation that benefits Growthpoint, our clients, and small business, the property sector and the country,” said Theunissen.
He added that for entrepreneurs, Property Point’s development programme helped them to build a sustainable business and sidestep stumbling blocks that too often resulted in small businesses failing.
“It also goes well beyond this to raise the profile of the entrepreneurs and strengthen their competitiveness. In addition, the programme aims to create market linkages for small business that will see them included in procurement opportunities in the broader property sector, as well as Growthpoint.
"This better positions them to grow and thrive as profitable small businesses, provide opportunities for new jobs and support South Africa’s economic growth,” said Theunissen.
He said this was Property Point’s first full intake in Cape Town for some years.
He said that in the 10 years since Property Point was founded by Growthpoint Properties in 2008, it had created 2 108 jobs and generated R883 million in procurement opportunities for the 154 SMEs that had participated in its two-year enterprise and supplier development programme. These small business have reported an average 43 percent growth in revenue.
He added that Property Point had also pioneered collaboration across businesses in the property sector, including partners such as Attacq and the Department of Small Business Development, to drive enterprise and supplier development forward for the sector.
The 14 business that make up Property Point’s new Cape Town intake for Growthpoint include: HEB Maintenance, WG Dixon, Simunye Planscapes, G Salie Painters, Coalition Cabling & Electrical, Dry Force, Zascon Group, A.N.S Fire Protection Services, ASQ Projects, Ole Bogeng & Associates, Donnell’s Worx, Consultmech and JF Fencing.