NGM: Providing the backbone for innovative strategies

Leadership guest note

PROVIDING THE BACKBONE FOR INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES

Award winning, 100% black owned B-BBEE consulting, strategy and economic development practice New Generation Mindset (NGM) has earned global recognition through its recent appointment as the first certified EU | BIC (Business and Innovation Centre) in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company promotes a new mindset towards economic and social innovation, embracing the “act local – think global” mindset, by ensuring South African businesses are globally competitive. Currently, NGM is running Incubation and Accelerator Programmes with business such as Dimension Data, MTN, Samsung and ESKOM with the ultimate goal of contributing towards true transformation of the local economy. These corporates have partnered with NGM as specialists in the development of entrepreneurs and enterprises and they share how the Incubation and Accelerator Programmes are being implemented.

 MTN MTN has partnered with NGM to develop an innovative Incubation and Acceleration programme, that will significantly contribute to much needed ICT development and transformation in South Africa. Through this programme with NGM, MTN is able to offer a comprehensive range of services to empower enterprises, SMMEs and individuals.

The MTN Incubator programme, run by New Generation Mindset, is designed to empower Black- and Women-owned companies in the ICT sector to develop and become sustainable, through acceleration, business incubation, coaching and mentorship, personal and business development training, market linkage and smart take off.

 ESKOM This Incubation and Accelerator Programme addresses the gap in ESKOM’s Supplier Development and Localization plan, aligned to Government’s National Development objectives through programs focused on the five (5) strategic B-BBEE pillars. The intention is to achieve maximum and sustainable Local Economic Development to make a significant contribution towards building a stronger local economy through improved entrepreneurial participation in the local and broader economy, leveraging on Eskom’s and Government’s fiscal spend.

The programmes have a strong focus on women-owned businesses located in the Eastern Cape. The incubation and acceleration initiatives develop, incubate, accelerate and integrate local SMMEs.

 DIMENSION DATA As a responsible South African company, Dimension Data is committed to empowerment and economic development, supporting Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment and the related Codes of good practice including Supplier Development. The objective of the Plessey Supplier Development Programme (SDP) is to support existing and new ICT entrepreneurs with the intention to grow the competitiveness of the Dimension Data Group of companies. The ICT-centered programme, which is aligned with Government initiatives, runs in all the South African regions where Dimension Data Group Companies have a footprint.

Enhancing skills and enterprise development initiatives, impacting on the full spectrum of the socio-economic and infrastructure investment value chain.

 SAMSUNG The Samsung Khulanathi Programme focuses on developing entrepreneurs in the ICT, Engineering and Refrigeration space, with the aim of ensuring that such incubated and accelerated companies can provide services to Samsung, and thereby grow their businesses.

Samsung has as a result identified enterprises aligned to its core business, enterprises that it will develop and support, in partnership with NGM.

Through further partnership with the Samsung Academy, NGM is developing and implementing youth training programmes to ensure a healthy pipeline in the field of entrepreneurship. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa opens new Teen Centre in Soweto

Tupperware South Africa, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is a firm believer in supporting communities through focused corporate social investment. Tupperware has been supporting their major initiative, the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa (BGCSA), since its inception in 2011.

BGCSA provides a safe space for young people aged 6 to 18 in those traditionally unsupervised hours after-school. Programmes focus on the holistic development of every child with a core focus on academic success. The Club builds on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America model and utilizes their endorsement and technical advice.

In South Africa today, 60 percent of the 18.5 million children grow up in poverty, many of them surrounded by extreme unemployment; where alcoholism and drug addiction, violence and crime; hunger and disease are ever-present. Hope and opportunity are two commodities that are difficult to find.

On July 1st, BGCSA hosted a reception for the opening of their new Teen Centre, which is the second facility completed at its flagship clubhouse in Pimville Zone 2, Soweto. A spokesperson for BGCSA said that,

“What was once a small and basic facility in a dangerous park is now a thriving campus with two Clubhouses, an NBA basketball court, soccer fields, a garden, and daily programming that focuses on education, health and life skills, character and leadership, sports and fitness, and arts and culture.” At this event, Tupperware announced the winners of a collaborative effort between Club Members and their Sandwich Keeper product. BGCSA put on an art contest where Club Members were asked to illustrate “What are your dreams?” Two Club Members will now have their artwork printed on Tupperware Sandwich Keepers, which Tupperware will make available in November 2014 for sale. For every Sandwich Keeper Set sold, BGCSA will receive R5 from Tupperware.