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SowetanLIVE
29-07-2025
- Business
- SowetanLIVE
Samsung opens its third call for black-owned tech SMM enterprises
Samsung and the department of trade, industry & competition have launched the third call of their R280m Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP), first introduced in 2019. Black-owned ICT and service centre SMMEs can now apply to join the 2024 Enterprise Development (ED) programme. The Samsung ED programme aims to empower black-owned ICT and service centre enterprises to boost the economy and create jobs through entrepreneurship and business support. This involves initiatives such as grant funding, specialist business development support and access to supply chain opportunities for black- and women-owned SMMEs. This programme's efforts are aligned with the country's transformation goals and aim to foster a more inclusive economy. Testimonials from the programme's beneficiaries To inspire potential future participants, coupled with Samsung's need to measure the impact and effectiveness of its CSR initiatives, the company spoke to two beneficiaries of the ED programme. Thoriso Rangata, a 32-year-old businessman and the owner of KTO Digital, says he gained the reassurance and confidence he needed from being part of the programme. KTO Digital focuses on business process automation, software development services, and background screening software as a service (SaaS) solutions. Based in Johannesburg, originally from Limpopo, Rangata responded to a public call for applications in 2020. At the time, his business needed support to meet the company's growth objectives. Ranagata is a true example of how the programme is empowering ICT entrepreneurship, stimulating job creation, and helping contribute to economic growth. Since being part of the EEIP programme, KTO Digital won the Nedbank Business of the Year Award in 2022, and in the same year, launched its own product and received accreditation as a credit bureau business. Since 2021, his business has created over 20 jobs, in line with the programme's objective of creating both direct and indirect jobs, with a particular emphasis on black-economic empowerment and developing the township economy.
TimesLIVE
29-07-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Samsung opens its third call for black-owned tech SMM enterprises
Rangata and his team have also been able to pursue their passions and bring security and stability to employees and their families. 'Other direct benefits included grant funding, asset financing and continuous business mentorship, which is exactly what our business needed to move forward,' he says. 'We strongly believe the skills we acquired from this programme, which included business regulatory governance structures and strategic business growth approaches/methods, have contributed to the success of our business. It has really helped us achieve our goals, and take our business to new heights.' Based in Sinoville, Tshwane, Dumisani Mkhwebane, a 38-year-old businessman who co-owns and runs IT company TIA Solutions with Boitumelo Mkhwebane, 36. Their business focuses on secure scalable IT solutions by building cloud infrastructure through collaborative team efforts. This provides their customers with resilience from cyberattacks and contributes to productivity, efficiency and business continuity. 'We partner with multinational vendors such as Microsoft, Fortinet and Veritas, which allow us to give our customers end-to-end, tailor-made IT solutions that cater to their business needs,' says Mkhwebane. He says they entered the programme after seeing an advert on LinkedIn in 2023. 'We then received capital investment to buy computer equipment for our internal operations as well as company vehicles. We also received business training, management, marketing and skills development for our employees.' The programme has both financial and non-financial benefits for business growth and sustainability, he says. 'We would like to encourage other SMEs to apply to be part of the programme. It will help grow other SMEs like it did ours and upskill their workforce.' The Samsung ED programme aims to show future participants how the EEIP can help them start their businesses. The success of past beneficiaries proves Samsung's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in SA. Nicky Beukes, Samsung SA EEIP project manager says: 'It's clear from these testimonials that through the reassurance and confidence offered by this Samsung EEIP ED programme, we are slowly achieving shifting the perception of potential candidates from 'I'm working on something' to 'I run a successful business'. 'As Samsung, we are happy to be delivering according to our programme's overall and multifaceted objectives, which include the creation of a more inclusive and prosperous society through strategic investments, skills development and entrepreneurial support.'
