Want to learn about the food and beverage industry from the best?
Now you can, with the Mandela Bay Development Agency and The Studio Market launching a food and beverage market expo and master class for local suppliers in the city.
The free expo is aimed at capacitating and helping to grow commercially-viable small businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The Market Access Expo, to be held at the Tramways Building on November 18, is meant to be a one-stop meeting place for the Bay’s small businesses to meet potential clients or buyers and distributors of their products and form sustainable business ties.
While suppliers showcase their products and service by exhibiting to the public, a panel of business owners will share their expertise during a master class at the venue.
Panellists include Afro Bae natural hair products founder and farmer Yolanda Mbolompo, founder of Iyana Fine Dry Impepho Infused Gin and Khanya Impepho Oil Infused Candles Tumi Flusk and enterprise development and mentorship specialist Siya Zondani.
This is part of The Studio Market’s efforts to give small suppliers access to the market and support to elevate their businesses, The Studio Market founder Flusk said.
“When I started my business just in the middle [of the Covid-19 pandemic], my struggle as a small-business owner was getting financial support as well as information on which doors I could knock on to get business support,” she said.
“I was fortunate to be helped by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the department of trade, industry and competition because I went knocking on their doors, but my frustration was that it isn’t well-known out there that these places have such services to support small businesses.”
Business support organisations and agencies such as the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa) will also be at the expo and masterclass to share information on channels that businesses can follow when seeking support.
“We’re inviting people whose businesses could supply hotels, retail spaces and the like, as well potential buyers and redistributors and the public so that everyone can be in one place and access what they are looking for,” Flusk said.
She said SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) had a crucial role to play in the recovery of SA’s ailing economy.
“As aspiring drivers of growth, job creation and innovation, SMMEs are crucial to the recovery of the SA economy, and The Studio Market is the formalisation of the key role the expo and master class play in the success of SMMEs by giving them access to the markets.
“Our aim is to further enhance the participation of small and emerging suppliers in our city.”
She said the platform aimed to build sustainable relationships to develop, capacitate, sustain and grow small, local businesses, create jobs and increase the localisation of goods.
“A strong brand is the essence of commercial sustainability. Not only does it help you differentiate yourself from your competitors but also allows you to communicate your intrinsic value to your customers,” Flusk said.
Business owners who have been operating for at least two years are invited to submit entries to exhibit at the Market Access Expo.
To enter, submit a company profile summary and a high resolution picture of yourself and product to create@mbda.co.za.
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