Training more artisans will reduce SA’s importation of goods: Ndabeni

Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni says training more artisans would help South Africa reduce its importation of goods.

She was speaking during the official opening of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator at the Sekhukhune TVET College in Motetema, Limpopo, on Sunday.

The centre was established to foster entrepreneurship.

Ndabeni says such centres should produce more skilled artisans to promote the manufacture of goods locally.

She says, “There is one thing that always pains me when we talk about the artisans, especially welders and carpenters. In front of me, there are cameras and they have different stands, as you can see. And all of these stands are not made here in South Africa. We have welders, so what is different from welding them? This is what we must begin to think about when we think of the market. What do people use every day?”

RELATED VIDEO | TVET colleges and artisan skills in spotlight to tackle youth unemployment:

The centre is one of the 120 others across the country. Some beneficiaries of the centre say it will revolutionise entrepreneurship.

Pebetse Matlala and Molala Lesiba say the centre has sharpened their business skills.

Matlala says, “When I arrived here in 2022, I knew nothing about financials. She was always on my neck about them pushing me to learn. All that I knew was that I had started a business which I was passionate about.”

“We graduated last November from the three-year contract that we signed. Today, I do not have 1.2 million to be honest, but I have gained experience that I wouldn’t have gained from anywhere else,” adds Lesiba.