Case Study: Southern Africa Trust (SAT) - Sector Research
Mthente received a grant from the Southern Africa Trust (SAT) to undertake a detailed assessment of how the integration of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region into their national and regional economies can be encouraged via the identification and removal of internal constraints to SME development. It is envisaged that this will assist in the establishment of effective business linkages that facilitate the integration of SMEs in the region into industry supply chains.
The research project focused on six sector-specific country case
studies: Democratic Republic of Congo (logistics in the mining sector
supply chain), Malawi (agricultural sector supply chain), Mozambique
(tourism sector supply chain), Namibia (fisheries sector supply chain),
South Africa (clothing and textiles sector supply chain) and Zambia
(retail sector supply chain).
In addition to the development of these case studies, Mthente is holding facilitated round table discussions with key stakeholders in each of these countries. The first four round tables were held during the week of 24 to 28 May 2010 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. In Kinshasa Mthente met with stakeholders in the DRC’s mining sector, in Maputo with stakeholders in Mozambique’s tourism sector, in Blantyre with stakeholders in the Malawian agricultural sector, and in Lusaka with stakeholders in the Zambian retail sector. During the workshops, discussions were held with participants with a view to deriving practical solutions to the internal and external constraints confronting SMEs in the respective sectors and to developing guidelines on how effective business linkages can be established between these SMEs and large corporations operating in the respective countries.
Following the roundtables, Mthente will develop a handbook that outlines key guidelines and recommendations to be considered when addressing internal constraints to SME development and developing business linkages in the SADC region.
In addition to the development of these case studies, Mthente is holding facilitated round table discussions with key stakeholders in each of these countries. The first four round tables were held during the week of 24 to 28 May 2010 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. In Kinshasa Mthente met with stakeholders in the DRC’s mining sector, in Maputo with stakeholders in Mozambique’s tourism sector, in Blantyre with stakeholders in the Malawian agricultural sector, and in Lusaka with stakeholders in the Zambian retail sector. During the workshops, discussions were held with participants with a view to deriving practical solutions to the internal and external constraints confronting SMEs in the respective sectors and to developing guidelines on how effective business linkages can be established between these SMEs and large corporations operating in the respective countries.
Following the roundtables, Mthente will develop a handbook that outlines key guidelines and recommendations to be considered when addressing internal constraints to SME development and developing business linkages in the SADC region.