South African mining company Anglo American has launched an incubator programme through its enterprise development arm Zimele.
The programme will assist mainly youth- and women-owned businesses in areas around the firm’s operations in the North West, Limpopo and Northern Cape provinces. The goal is to help 500 startup businesses in rural communities become sustainable and successful companies.
It will be offered in three phases per location, with 25 entrepreneurs taking part in each phase, and will provide participants with access to training, mentorship and tools to help them refine their business models. It will also assist them in identifying and engaging target markets and testing their products and services. Partners include TechnoServe, Summit, and Absa.
“The programme was designed to get entrepreneurs to take their business from zero revenue to commercially viable entities that can improve the broader economic wellbeing of communities around the company’s mining and processing operations in South Africa,” said Zimele head Larisha Naidoo.
