A MULTI-MILLION
RAND CHEMICAL BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTRE LAUNCHED BY MINISTER ROB DAVIES
By BRIAN KAJENGO
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies has
launched an about R8-million Durban branch of the South African Chemical
Technology Incubator (Chemin) at the Westville Campus of the University of
KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban today.
Minister Davies says the business Incubation
centre is assisting a number of chemical technology businesses in the region by
offering free support services to small business owners. The current incubated
enterprises are mainly focusing on chemical detergent, cosmetics, and hear care
products.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Davies said that
Chemin's focus is on developing the downstream chemicals manufacturing industry
in South Africa.
“These sectors include relatively high value pure
chemicals that are typically used as active ingredients in formulated
speciality chemicals used in industrial and non-consumer applications (e.g.
paints, mining chemicals, textile specialities, paper chemicals), but does not
exclude the production of other downstream chemicals. The aim of this project
is to recover heavy metals by removing mercury, and europium. This technology
has already been patented, furthermore millions of households are now using CFL
bulbs, which were distributed by Eskom as an endeavour to reduce power
consumption in the country,” said Davies.
The Minister indicated that incubated enterprises are
also receiving access market information in the Chemical sector and external
clients at a negotiated fee as well as a state-of-the-art laboratory containing
specialised analytical equipment.
Davies also announced that as at 31 March 2014, forty
two (42) applications to the value of about R682 million approved over a three
year. The total value of investment be leveraged is R1.1 billion.
“Surely this is a
good story to tell, as these 42 incubators spread across all 9 provinces and
new 4 ones have been approved but will be fully established during the 2014/15
financial year. Manufacturing, Agriculture, ICT, and Construction are the
leading sectors”, he added.
One of the incubates
Stanley Zulu says they taught how to manage business and finances and not mix
it with personal life. According to Zulu, every aspirant entrepreneur is able
to reach his dream.
‘We are all capable
of being entrepreneurs, but we need to be disciplined and do research regarding
any type of business that one is aspiring. Above all, we need to know the
market and the competitor. Aspirant entrepreneurs should not go in business
with an intention of getting reach quick or overnight”, said Zulu.
The Durban branch of the South African Chemical Technology
Incubator established partnership with the Small
Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) Eskom Foundation, Department of Economic
Development and Tourism (DEDEAT) and the University of KwaZulu Natal.
It was set up in December 2012 to develop entrepreneurs in the chemical
business in Durban
and the surrounding areas.
Both Seda and Eskom Foundation fund the centre. The
funding collectively contributes to the Centre establishment, operations,
laboratory and the manufacturing pilot plant.
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