Volkswagen South Africa’s (VWSA’s) Ntinga Project, established to assist, train and mentor up-and-coming black-owned suppliers in the automotive sector, has culminated in the selection of ten finalists set to compete for the top five positions.
The final five will then embark on an 18-month intensive business-based mentoring and coaching programme that, should they succeed, will see them awarded contracts with VWSA, said VWSA chairperson and MD Thomas Schaefer.
The project, launched a year ago with over 300 suppliers approached and assessed by the Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness Initiative (ASCCI), will now see the ten finalists mentored and coached over the next month by existing VWSA suppliers.
“The end goal of this coaching is for the suppliers to successfully present their business plan to a panel of judges on November 29, where five winners will be chosen,” he explained.
The 18-month mentoring and coaching programme will be undertaken by the VWSA Learning Academy, VWSA broad-based black economic empowerment trust, ASCCI and other VWSA divisions to ensure the five suppliers are sufficiently equipped with a range of skills.
“Volkswagen hopes they will rise to great heights in the automotive sector and beyond.”