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Western Cape Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, and officials from his Department, briefed the Standing Committee on Finance, a committee comprised of all political parties, on the Partnership Network that we have formed to offer a full range of support services to the province’s entrepreneurs and SMMEs.

Led by the Western Cape Government, the Partnership Network brings together under one umbrella three key small business support service providers in the Western Cape, namely:
• Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) – with 3 offices and 12 Enterprise Development Centres located in strategic points across the province
• The Business Place – located in Philippi, Cape Town CBD and Harare in Khayelitsha.
• The West Coast Business Development Centre – located in Saldanha with a satellite in Vredendal.

The funding that was previously utilised to support the 12 RED Doors has also been absorbed into the Partnership Network.

The coordination of these organisations will ensure that entrepreneurs and SMMEs in the Western Cape now have access to over twenty small business support centres. Through the centres, we are providing a bigger, better range of services including:

• Business development support;
• Access to industry support programmes;
• Full diagnostics on new and existing enterprises;
• Access to DTI incentives;
• Co-operative support programmes;
• Access to training;
• Access to departmental programmes; and
• Access to the SEDA Technology Programme

Alan Winde said: “The Western Cape Government and all the role players that have partnered with us to form this network believe that small businesses and entrepreneurs are key to growing our economy and creating jobs. Through this Partnership Network, we are ensuring that in the Western Cape, a wide range of services are readily accessible to those who wish to start and grow a business. We formed the Partnership Network because we believe that we can provide support services Better Together.”