SAB TRANSFORMS SUPPLY CHAIN, INVESTS MILLIONS INTO BLACK-OWNED SMMEs

Supplier Development Programmes grow black-owned suppliers, create jobs

Johannesburg. 1 November 2017. The South African Breweries (SAB) has invested more than R200-million into creating an inclusive supply chain which incorporates black-owned and black women-owned SMMEs through its Supplier Development Programmes, SAB Accelerator and SAB Thrive. In addition, more than 100 jobs have been created through these efforts.


SAB’s Supplier Development programmes, SAB Accelerator and SAB Thrive, aim to create a diversified and inclusive supply chain by supporting the growth of black-owned suppliers through business development support and funding.


The programmes are two of four entrepreneurship development programmes run by SAB to help create 10 000 jobs in South Africa by 2022. This commitment to creating jobs is over and above SAB’s Public Investment Commitments made to the South African government at the business combination of SABMiller and AB InBev at the end of 2016. SAB’s entrepreneurship programmes are SAB KickStart, SAB Foundation, SAB Accelerator and SAB Thrive. In addition, SAB’s agriculture programmes focus on growing emerging farmers and contribute towards the aim to create jobs.    

 
“From rural entrepreneurs to big business, SAB has laid the foundation to support entrepreneurs and to contribute towards government’s efforts to grow the economy reduce unemployment in the country.

 
“We recognise that one of the major hurdles for SMMEs in South Africa is the ability to gain entry into big business and form part of their supply chains. This requires a symbiotic relationship with big business working alongside smaller suppliers enabling, nurturing and helping them to grow to become capable and sustainable entities able to serve the organisation well and over the long term,” says Ricardo Tadeu, Zone President, SAB and AB InBev Africa.

 
SAB Accelerator and SAB Thrive cohesively solve the challenges of creating a healthy pipeline of suppliers that represent the demographics of the country.

 
SAB Accelerator has piloted 10 businesses which have created 29 permanent and 79 part-time jobs in a period of just 6 months. The programme is currently incubating 24 businesses as part of the official intake post the pilot. The target is to incorporate 100 suppliers per year moving forward.

 
SAB Thrive has invested R100m in 7 businesses which have created 46 new jobs. In addition, the programme has contributed R140m in new BBBEE preferential spend.

 

SAB Accelerator

The SAB Accelerator is an in-house programme dedicated to developing black owned and black women owned supplier to be world class suppliers. Geared towards fast tracking the participants’ growth, the SAB Accelerator employs 10 dedicated highly experienced business coach and 10 engineers. This powerful resource mix enables the programme to offer both tailored business and deep technical coaching to the participants.

 

We have a three-phased approach consisting of:

  • Diagnostic – screening the businesses current situation and a systematic identification of gaps and opportunities for growth.
  • Catalyst – proposed an intensive three month coaching intervention addressing key business functional and technical areas of improvement or growth.
  • Amplify – provides additional business development to support graduates of the Catalyst Programme.
  • A fully equipped office space is made available to emerging suppliers to create a conducive environment to realise their potential

The SAB Accelerator has also a strong focus on enhancing market visibility and access of its participants through developing innovatives tools, strategic partnerships and leveraging on cross industries networks.

 

Eligibility criteria:

  • Existing black-owned or black woman-owned suppliers currently servicing SAB’s supply chain at the time of application.
  • Existing black-owned or black woman-owned businesses that have potential to join the SAB supply chain based on their product or service.

 

SAB Thrive

The SAB Thrive Fund is an Enterprise & Supplier Development (E&SD) Fund set up and funded by SAB to transform the company’s supplier base. The Fund has been established in partnership with the Awethu Project, a Black Private Equity Fund Manager and SMME investment company. The SAB Thrive Fund's mandate is to invest in and transform SAB suppliers such that they become more representative of our country's demographics. SAB Thrive Fund Investees benefit from 100% Black equity capital and business support.

  • Existing black-owned suppliers – the SAB Thrive Fund can invest growth equity capital into SAB’s existing high-growth black-owned suppliers to further their profitable expansion into the SAB supply chain without diluting the black-ownership of these businesses.
  • Existing white-owned suppliers – The SBA Thrive Fund also provides existing white-owned suppliers with equity capital to support the enhancement of their black-ownership, while facilitating the introduction of black entrepreneurs to gain an ownership stake in their business with the intention of apprenticing this individual to take over the business in the near future.

 

Eligibility criteria:

  • Black-owned suppliers in the SAB supply chain that want to grow their business through access to black-owned growth equity capital
  • Existing white-owned suppliers in the SAB supply chian that want to transform their B-BBEE ownership.

 

Ends/

 

For media enquiries please contact Azure Janneker on Azure.Janneker@za.ab-inbev.com or 079 505 6966

 

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