We do this by tailoring, providing and administering the right mix of grant, project and term loans through our Impact Capital offering, and implementing hands-on business and technical support with our Learning Academy team.
In this way we help you to make a meaningful impact in your labour-sending and doorstep communities.
Learning Academy + ESD
Our ESD solutions are brought to life – designed, developed and implemented with you – by our Learning Academy.
They have been built on a strategic – and practical – understanding of the key problem statements facing our clients.
Very simply, we help you to invest both sustainably and cost effectively in black-owned SMMEs within your supply chains and the communities in which you operate, and capacitate these businesses – gearing them for long-term sustainability and success.
We do this by tailoring, providing and administering the right mix of grant, project and term loans through our Impact Capital offering, and implementing hands-on business and technical support with our Learning Academy team.
In this way we help you to make a meaningful impact in your labour-sending and doorstep communities.
Learning Academy + ESD
Our ESD solutions are brought to life – designed, developed and implemented with you – by our Learning Academy.
They have been built on a strategic – and practical – understanding of the key problem statements facing our clients.
Very simply, we help you to invest both sustainably and cost effectively in black-owned SMMEs within your supply chains and the communities in which you operate, and capacitate these businesses – gearing them for long-term sustainability and success.
Our holistic ESD programme design process lays the foundation for long-term success
Finding solutions in dynamic community environments requires a unique appreciation of each stakeholder’s reality, and the right blend of strategic skills, practical know-how, and on-the-ground capacity to move everyone forward together.
This is why our process includes:
We know – again from experience – that you will probably need to transform and unbundle your supply chain in order to procure from your local suppliers. In this instance, your team could need assistance with certain skills, pricing and contract deliverables. We help you with this.
In the same way, your doorstep communities will typically need assistance to access your supply chain. They might not yet be ready to participate, and could require everything from skills to mentorship to funding to compete on merit and add value. These solutions must be integrated. They must be relevant and tailored. Community development and ESD cannot – and do not – work in silos. We partner with you to bring everything and everyone together in a sustainable, purposeful way.
Our offerings are delivered by our cross-functional experienced teams from both the Learning Academy and Impact Capital:
We track impact consistently throughout all programmes, monitoring and evaluating outcomes so that they drive strategic intent.
We also assure accountability for results, underpinned by a real track record.
Our work in action
Our focus on practical relevance ensures that the programmes we design with you can be directly used and applied by entrepreneurs in their own businesses immediately. They are outcomes driven – typically combining regular mentorship/ group coaching sessions with critical skills development and training.
Wherever possible, we link programmes to supply chain contracts. This ensures SMEs become more formalised and gain more supply opportunities as they demonstrate their ability to grow. The supply chain contracts similarly ensure the entrepreneurs’ commitment to the programme and underscore the benefit of development implementation.
Our experienced and agile team enables this solution-driven approach. We’re relatable, responsive and kind. We live our DNA of “care”.
We custom-build to meet your specific objectives
Our diverse experience means that we’re able to design, develop and implement programmes across the SME growth/ lifecycle. This includes:
- Helping entrepreneurs take their business ideas to the first level of commercialisation;
- Assisting entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground and start generating revenue;
- Getting entrepreneurs to the next level of business, especially those who have the potential to create more jobs
- Working with experienced/ high growth entrepreneurs pushing to industrialise and compete with generic suppliers
Our Business Incubation offering
Providing meaningful business support and mentorship is both a privilege and responsibility. Our SME relationships are built on care and trust.
The Phakamani Learning Academy offers business incubation solutions that speak to the real day-to-day needs of your SME beneficiaries. These solutions bring a blend of accredited training and mentoring.
They include:
Our mentors and entrepreneurs are carefully “matched”, ensuring the best possible outcome of this journey together. It is also why we take such a collaborative approach to mentorship. We find specialists and experts where needed to build specific skills, capabilities and capacities in the SMEs we’re assisting – closing gaps and moving them ever-closer to their definition of “success”.
We’re able to offer a balance of blended learning and interactions – critical as we continue negotiating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Business incubation linked with mentorship
Our business incubation and mentorship journey is custom-built. It supports and enables our training in practice. We cater for micro EMEs, EMEs and QSEs.
Designed to “meet the entrepreneur” where they are at, mentorship complements and supports the accredited learning programme the SME is on; practically grounding it in the business through direct application. Impact and results are tracked with the entrepreneur so that they see the value of implementation – and continue championing growth long after the intervention has come to an end.
Our locally-based training facilitators are matched to “fit” with your programme participants. We’re mindful of any possible barriers to learning; seeking to address these upfront. We’re able to train and mentor in the language that best suits your programme participants, ensuring they can participate fully and invest in their own success. Wherever possible, we also use existing infrastructure at your facilities to reduce costs and support direct brand engagement and experience.
Our mentors and entrepreneurs are carefully “matched”, ensuring the best possible outcome of this journey together. It is also why we take such a collaborative approach to mentorship. We find specialists and experts where needed to build specific skills, capabilities and capacities in the SMEs we’re assisting – closing gaps and moving them ever-closer to their definition of “success”.
We’re able to offer a balance of blended learning and interactions – critical as we continue negotiating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Business incubation linked with mentorship
Our business incubation and mentorship journey is custom-built. It supports and enables our training in practice. We cater for micro EMEs, EMEs and QSEs.
Designed to “meet the entrepreneur” where they are at, mentorship complements and supports the accredited learning programme the SME is on; practically grounding it in the business through direct application. Impact and results are tracked with the entrepreneur so that they see the value of implementation – and continue championing growth long after the intervention has come to an end.
Our locally-based training facilitators are matched to “fit” with your programme participants. We’re mindful of any possible barriers to learning; seeking to address these upfront. We’re able to train and mentor in the language that best suits your programme participants, ensuring they can participate fully and invest in their own success. Wherever possible, we also use existing infrastructure at your facilities to reduce costs and support direct brand engagement and experience.
Aligned Business Accelerator Programme
This programme is ideal as an introduction to your ESD intervention in doorstep communities.
This training is typically rolled-out over a period of five days in a classroom setting, targeting micro enterprises or SMMEs in start-up phase. The modules covered create a solid understanding of key requirements for this phase of business, notably around developing a business plan, managing finances, marketing and tendering, ethics and HR management.
This programme is aligned to NQF level 2 Unit Standards and is run as a skills programme with 39 credits. Learners who submit a Portfolio of Evidence and are deemed competent on the programme receive a certificate of competence.
We’re able to customise training programmes and interventions for specific skills required by your entrepreneurs or by your staff.
For customised training programmes please contact the Learning Academy.