The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM provides emerging companies with the management skills required for long term success

One of the greatest challenges facing new Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is that the owners or managers lack the relevant managerial training and experience required to ensure the enterprise can gain a foothold in a tough business market, and attain sustainable success.

The audited, measured and structured approach of The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM is specifically addressing this area of concern amongst emerging SMEs in South Africa, and ensuring that they have this requisite knowledge.

Success in this regard has been personally encountered by steel fabrication and mining supplies company, Orient, who has been involved with The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM for over a year.

The company, which is based in Rustenburg, provide spares for flotation chutes, as well as pipes, grizzlies and high pressure guns to mining companies in the region, including Anglo American and Xstrata. It commenced operations in 2009, and employs 13 people.

Run by Richard and Grace Jobson, the general manager and administration manager respectively, Orient has gained much managerial expertise by partaking in The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM, which has as furthered their company’s development.

“We realised that we were short of some managerial skills, and therefore, required assistance to develop further in this area.

“Thanks to our involvement with the Programme, our respective knowledge capacity in crucial business areas such as marketing and financial management has been considerably strengthened. Subsequently, we will now be able to apply this knowledge to our daily operations, and ensure that our business grows and develops accordingly.”

Sharon Reed, CEO of Neosho119, who runs The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM, notes that the Programme’s unique model allows it to provide companies such as Orient with the tools for long term success. 

“The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM has the requisite processes, procedures and templates to ensure that companies gain the necessary managerial expertise they require to create and sustain viable enterprises.
“Subsequently our specific mentorship model is helping to ensure that the country’s economy develops, and that corporate companies can increase their community or supplier base. As such, I urge all emerging as well as existing entrepreneurs seeking assistance in furthering their business goals to contact us. We can also assist corporate companies who are looking for an audited, structured and verifiable approach to their BEE spend.”

Jobson concludes that The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM has helped Orient refocus its direction.
“Previously, we were just running the business day to day, and didn’t have specific goal-related ideas. However, The Vuka Mentorship ProgrammeTM has ensured that we have far more focused objectives, and know where we would like the business to be in five years’ time.

“Therefore, the Programme has ultimately ensured that Orient is heading in the right direction, and has a long term plan for sustainability.”

Comments