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New meat labelling regulations

Business owners who con-travene the recently gazetted meat labelling regulations face being fined up to R1 million of their annual turnover or 12 months’ imprisonment. This comes after research by Stellenbosch University revealed earlier this year that meat was not being labelled accurately and that some products contained undisclosed meat products. According to Sidwell Medupe,… [Continue Reading]

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The very tricky business of the holiday season

With the festive season fast approaching, thoughts are now turning to prolonged holiday excursions and a break away from work – for everyone, that is, but business owners who are normally at their busiest during that time of the year. But is it all work and no play for all business owners or is there… [Continue Reading]

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Worth investing in protecting your ideas

Protecting your intellectual property is crucial because it could prevent your product or design being ripped off later – a key lesson learnt by two business owners who were both recently involved in spats with Woolworths. Last month, Small Business Connect featured Mike Schmidt, owner of Frankie’s Olde Soft Drink Company. Schmidt alleged that Woolworths… [Continue Reading]

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Small Business Connect

Dimension Data programme sharpens owners skills

After 10 months of intense practical training, 18 successful young KwaZulu-Natal entrepreneurs recently graduated from Dimension Data’s Enterprise Development Incubator Programme. The incubator programme was developed to promote entrepreneurial skills and to broaden the supplier base in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) industry. It is targeted at Dimension Data’s current service providers and black South African… [Continue Reading]

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Ombud to ease tax ‘obstacles’

Newly appointed tax ombuds-man Bernard Ngoepe is under no illusions about the enormity of the task at hand, but believes his role can help “remove unnecessary obstacles” that have hurt small businesses in the past. Ngoepe is considered one of the most respected judicial figures in the country. He was appointed as Judge President of… [Continue Reading]

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Eastern Cape co-ops ripped off

The use of so-called consultants to assist co-operative members to register the details of their business with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is a growing problem in the Eastern Cape. This has emerged after Director-General of Trade and Industry, Lionel October, recently warned about the practice. Nomaci Qabaka, who owns the successful Xhobani… [Continue Reading]

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Small Business Connect

Owners confident that business will flourish

Entrepreneurs are confident about growing their businesses but are concerned about the economy and that not enough is being done to assist small businesses. This is a key finding of the recent Business Partners Limited SME Index (BPLSI), which shows that the average confidence levels for growth in business are up by 2% compared to the… [Continue Reading]

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Funding helps with Cape job creation

“We did not have money, but we had an idea.” These were the words of Cape Town business owner Luvuyo Rani, speaking at the launch of the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s Enterprise Development Fund (EDF), held at his business premises in Khayelitsha. Rani, who started the information technology business Silulo Ulutho… [Continue Reading]

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African markets open doors for local business

Rendani Makhomu and Peggy Mahlaba are two of an increasing number of local entrepreneurs venturing into Africa, with many more gazing with renewed interest at the continent. While Makhomu, who runs the Limpopo engineering company Tshete Holdings, plans to set up a small cold-mix asphalt manufacturing plant in Ghana, Mahlaba’s renewable energy firm has, since… [Continue Reading]

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Branson centre supports entrepreneurs with growth

A Johannesburg business owner says that since receiving mentorship and training by the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship five months ago, he has already seen an increase in productivity resulting in a 20% growth in his software development business. The centre, which is an initiative of the Virgin Group owned by entrepreneur extraodinaire Sir Richard Branson, started… [Continue Reading]

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