A chance introduction between Soweto Business Access (SBA) and the Bramhope Group at the 13th Annual Smart Procurement World Indaba at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg in September has resulted in an innovative corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative aimed at generating employment opportunities in local communities.

SBA Chairman Mphuthi Mphuthi explains that Ms Jayshree Padayatchey is assisting in developing the Reka Rekisa Kasi (Sotho for ‘buy and sell locally’) micro-franchise customer programme with the assistance of the Bramhope Group. “Funders find it easier and more comfortable to fund micro franchise businesses than ordinary business,” Mphuthi explains.

“The Bramhope Group hopes to facilitate the growth of local community involvement and economic development by sharing the supply of products, services, and our award-winning software as a service to those companies and organisations already procuring these products and services.

“This combined initiative will give local communities access to products and services that they currently do not have access to. For the customers that procure this combined offering, the benefit is twofold: Not only do they empower local communities, they receive a world-class service that can lead to a 3% to 5% saving on their bottom line, as well as placing more people in economically-sustainable jobs,” Bramhope Group CEO Isak Marais comments.

The Bramhope Group comprises Bramhope Health & Safety and Bramhope Outdoor & Leisure. Together with its partners, the Bramhope Group delivers innovative solutions and products to its health and safety clients in the manufacturing, construction, and mining industries within the SADC region.

“Our comprehensive service offering covers the entire business cycle, from marketing to distribution, importing, selling, and procurement, and even encompasses packing,” Marais highlights.

The CSR initiative being promoted by the SBA partnership is largely aimed at generating employment opportunities within major townships such as Soweto. “We want to make it as quick and easy as possible for the local community to access these opportunities offered by the Bramhope Group,” Mphuthi comments.

The initiative will benefit black-owned small businesses specifically. It is also looking to target unemployed graduates in informal settlements, in order to ensure they become economically active as soon as possible, and start contributing to their local communities.

Mphuthi highlights that the Bramhope Group’s retail and supply-management expertise made it a natural fit to partner with the SBA as part of its broader CSR programme. “The Bramhope Group is the solution provider for our initiative. We are pushing for local communities to have their own customer programmes, focusing on big business and government sector rather than just consumers, as we envisage more opportunities here.”

Mphuthi concludes: “Companies like the Bramhope Group help break down barriers that make it difficult for small black-owned businesses in local communities to break through and generate opportunities. The Bramhope Group specialises in creating customised solutions, which is an ideal approach to ensure the economic viability of local communities.”