The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) will hold its inaugural Supplier Development Day at the Vulindlela Accommodation and Conference Centre (VACC), in Coega, in the Eastern Cape, on February 22.
The event seeks to facilitate access to information for small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) on business opportunities, as well as enterprise development programmes.
It also serves as a networking and information-sharing platform, bringing together SMMEs, big business, academia and industry.
"Since announcing the CDC Supplier Development Day this week, we have received many enquiries from small businesses wishing to register for the event," CDC SMME programme manager Unathi Maholwana said on Friday.
The Supplier Development Day, which is a first of its kind to be hosted by a special economic zone, will include a line-up of speakers from both the private and public sectors.
"We've cast our net wide, appreciating the diverse sectors in which the CDC has a footprint. As a result, it's important that the line-up of speakers is reflective of that," CDC marketing brand and corporate communications unit head Dr Ayanda Vilakazi enthused.
Mindful of the procurement opportunities available in the public sector, the CDC has included speakers from public institutions such as the National Treasury, the South African Revenue Service, as well as representatives from the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission; all of whom will be engaging small businesses on a multitude of issues in relation to the development of SMMEs in the region.