Ntshahtsha Tafeni doubled her business’s turnover thanks to the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship training.
Completing a training programme at the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship helped Ntshantsha Tafeni double her beauty manufacturing business’s turnover and employ two additional staff members.
Tafeni is one of 70 business owners who has completed the programme, which has been running since January and is funded by R1 million in funding that the centre received from Nedbank.
The programme includes training on areas such as finance, governance and ethics, human resources and marketing.
Tafeni, who runs Yivani Natural, attended the training course from 31 January to 7 March. “I filled in an application form on the centre’s website and was pre-selected. Then after rigorous interviews, I was selected to join the programme.”
She says the programme also provided her with the opportunity to exhibit her products to local and overseas businesses and investors.
In addition, the training programme also exposed her to industry specialists who assisted her with product and quality testing and helped her to acquire the proper documentation to export her goods.
“As a result, I secured a major client in the UK and received orders to the value of R167 200,” says Tafeni, who started her business in 2001.
She adds that the networking sessions helped her to secure business deals with local cosmetic shops. Since acquiring the new contracts, Tafeni has increased her staff from four to six employees.
“The good thing about this training is that it does not stop after you graduate.
I still receive ongoing training through workshops and online correspondence. We also get invited to exhibitions and presentations for potential clients.”
Another business owner who benefited from the programme is Tembisa Mdlalo. She has been awarded a contract to train 103 third-year office management students.
Gavin Meiring, the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship’s marketing manager, says the programme requires entrepreneurs to complete two courses – a foundation course, which covers the basics involved in getting a business up and running and an advanced course, which helps one to develop and grow ones business..
- For more information, visit www.bransoncentre.org.