Celebrating a Remarkable Journey: Valediction Message from Valencia Anthony

Dear GEP Family,

As I stand at the threshold of retirement, reflecting on the journey that brought me to this moment; filled with gratitude for the incredible experiences, challenges, and growth that assisted in defining my career and character over the years. It has been an honour and a privilege to be a part of the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) family for 16 years, as I now transition into this new season of life with confidence and expectation. Coming from small beginnings has made me approach everything with positivity, empowered to impact the lives of others particularly that of the less fortunate and vulnerable.

Before joining GEP, I worked at Mafube Publishing, a small enterprise that produced the “Sawubona” Magazine for SAA Flights. Unfortunately, the enterprise liquidated, leading me to new opportunities and experiences.

When I joined the Public Service, it was more than just a career choice for me; it was a calling to serve my country with dedication and integrity. I do not think that I chose corporate governance as a career path, it chose me.

At GEP, I served as the Company Secretary Administrator and my role involved communicating governance practices, monitoring compliance with the Company Secretary and Board of Directors, as well maintaining key corporate documents and records. I always believed that effective communication, governance, and compliance with regulatory standards are essential for success and sustainability. Making good governance the ‘heartbeat’ of any organisation. It has been a privilege to serve the previous boards of directors, executives, and managers in assisting them to execute their roles and responsibilities optimally to accomplish the mandate of the entity. Being part of activating the ‘Heartbeat’ of the organisation has been a phenomenal roll-a-coaster ride, each day unique, and challenging yet fulfilling. I had to navigate the intense pressure and responsibility that Corporate Governance demands.

This journey presented me with a wealth of treasures such as wisdom, inner strength, understanding, knowledge, and discernment, which is where I am today. I received ‘Beauty for Ashes’ through loss and grief over the years. When I lost my son Paul in 2010, my GEP colleagues, acquaintances and leadership were ready to support me, through an exceedingly difficult period in my life. I will miss the strong community support ‘Ubuntu’ culture that I embrace and value with tremendous gratitude. As they say, “When you are in the right place you are Celebrated; when you are out of place, you are only Tolerated, it is an indication to move – the right place awaits you”. Learn to know your worth, do not remain in a place or relationship where you are not loved or appreciated.

To aspiring young women just entering the marketplace and embarking on new career corridors, I would offer the following advice. Firstly, honour authority in all spheres of life, as it will present you with favour and longevity; this is a principle of life. Secondly, be mindful of who you connect with and who you invite into your inner circle of friends, as your company will determine your future. Remember the saying, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future”. Thirdly, be intentional about how you live your life, and make sound choices, big and small, nothing good happens accidentally. It is wise to listen to those who have gone before you and have learned by experience the right and wrong choices to make through mentorship or coaching. Thirdly, discipline does not seem joyful immediately, but it will produce the peace of right living in due time. Lastly, learn to manage your time, finances, health, mind (thoughts) and relationships wisely. These are essential fundamental skills that will serve you well in both your personal and professional life.

As I look forward to this new season ahead, I envision a time filled with freedom and cherished moments with family, friends and acquaintances. While I may be retiring from my professional career, I am excited about what the future holds and a second chance to indulge in strengthening and developing important relationships that I have neglected over the years due to work commitments that inhibited my family time. I will also devote more time to helping people of all ages and cultures, empowering women, developing youth, and enabling seniors to develop new connections within their communities. Retirement will grant me an opportunity to serve others, to motivate and encourage them; to live a life more purposefully in this erratic world.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all my colleagues, both former and present, who offered me friendship, support, and camaraderie throughout the years. Your presence has made my time at GEP truly memorable. Whether our paths may cross again in the future or approach a cul-de-sac, may we continue to inspire, uplift, support and serve others wherever life may lead us.

As a parting remark, I hope that you will SEIZE THE DAY and make each moment count towards count toward fulfilling your potential. Today is not just another ordinary day, but today could present the most defining moment of our lifetimes in the mundane, it depends on how you choose to spend it. Choose to live a life of purpose – Intentionally.

With warmest regards,
Valencia  

Embracing Change – A Zoo Adventure Session

On Friday, the 26th of January 2024, the GEP Family embarked on a thrilling Change Management adventure unlike any other. The experience took place at the Johannesburg Zoo with great anticipation of what would happen next, as the invite only shared the casual dress code, which kept everything as a surprise.

The day officially started with a welcome note from the Chief Executive Officer, Saki Zamxaka. The session aimed to embrace change and know each other, by navigating through a series of challenges together. The facilitator then split everyone into 7 Groups, where each team needed to participate in a series of activities inspired by the “Amazing Race” and “Escape Room”, from decoding cryptic clues to solving brain-teasing puzzles, each challenge tested the team’s communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership skills. The teams raced against the clock; the spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition filled the air, driving everyone to push forward.

As the sunny day drew to a close. Everyone gathered for a debriefing session, reflecting on the lessons we had learned and the bonds we had formed. Through the challenges and triumphs of the day, we discovered the power of collaboration, adaptability, and resilience in the face of change.

To download the photos – click here.

A Farewell & Reflections From Ntate Nadas Pillay (Affectionately known as Nad)

As I embrace the joys of retirement after a journey filled with purpose and passion, it’s with a mix of emotions that I take this step—a bittersweet moment. Allow me to share a little as I start this new chapter. I am originally from Actonville, in the Ekurhuleni a region within Gauteng province. I am happily married to Debbie, and together, we have four adult children and four grandchildren. My journey as a political and cultural activist commenced in the 1980s, shaped by the Actonville Rent Action Committee and my unwavering commitment to progressive cultural organisations advocating for ‘unity in diversity’.

In 1996, my journey led me to the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), managing the Procurement Unit of the Information Technology (IT) Department. This department’s evolution spanned from the Public Service Commission to the Office of the Premier and the Gauteng Shared Service Centre.

During my tenure at GPG between 1997 to 2008, I had the opportunity to work in various departments within the province and travelled to different countries as a delegate in the missions to understand how developing and developed countries deal with economic development.

A pivotal moment occurred during my role as Deputy Director of local Economic Development at the Gauteng Department of Economic Development. I was tasked to be the Secretariat for the Task Team investigating challenges faced by Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), laying the foundation for the establishment of the Small Business Agency, now known as the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP). Being part of the conceptualisation of a “Stand Alone Agency” for small businesses has been fulfilling.

Joining the GEP in 2008 was a call to contribute to the democratic government’s vision of “A better life for all”. While GEP has made significant strides in supporting small businesses, there’s a collective hope for increased budgets to provide more comprehensive incubation models.

What inspires me though, is GEP’s clear mandate to provide both financial and non-financial support to SMMEs and Co-operatives. Witnessing small businesses gain autonomy and contribute significantly to the mainstream economy has been deeply rewarding.

Within GEP, my heart lies with the Business Development Support and Co-operatives Unit, specifically the Business Incubation and Co-operatives Sub-Unit. Over the years, we’ve supported 375 co-operatives and over 600 members across various sectors. As part of the operations team, I appreciate each and every person, the dedication to excellence, collaboration and support of the leadership.

As I retire after 15 years of service at GEP, not from life, I carry with me vast experiences in the incubation and co-operatives space. I am proud of the support we’ve provided and the programmes developed to see co-operatives become sustainable. Leaving the organisation on a stable ground is a source of pride and relief; I am confident that it will continue with exceptional leadership and dedication.

To the youth, I advocate for embracing entrepreneurship and exploring opportunities presented by organisations like GEP and many others. Artisans and youth entrepreneurs have tremendous potential.

Looking ahead, my recent qualification as a Professional Director opens doors to contribute my knowledge to various boards in both the public and private sectors.

As for the future of GEP, strategic positioning in the next five years is crucial. Becoming a “One Stop Shop,” providing integrated support for small businesses under one roof will be even more necessary. This includes lobbying for a better budget to assist more SMMEs and Co-operatives.

In terms of service delivery, GEP is on the right track but could do more with a dedicated budget. The organisation excels in playing a pivotal role in assisting businesses to contribute to the mainstream of our economy.

I believe that the quote “Tell no lies, claim no easy victory” by Amilcar Cabral can serve as a guiding principle, not only in the context of my experiences at GEP but also in shaping the future endeavours of the organisation as it continues its mission of supporting small businesses.

To the GEP family, thank you for the incredible journey. It has been an honour to contribute to the growth of GEP and witness the positive changes in the lives of those we’ve supported. As I step into a new chapter, I do so with gratitude, joy, and a commitment to continued service.

GEP CERTIFICATION CEREMONY FOR 125 CANDIDATES WHO ACHIEVED THE COMPUTER LITERACY TRAINING AND DIGITAL MARKETING PROGRAM FOR THE COOPERATIVES.

The Computer Literacy program was hosted for 5 regions in Gauteng and was a 5-day training which helped evolve and teach anyone of age and race to be skilled in computer skills in their cooperate field. An awarded ceremony was hosted on the 5th of December 2022 for the successful candidates at the Museum Africa, Newtown, Johannesburg. GEP was in partnership with Phaahlana Mahlako for the Computer Literacy training.

In the event of covid-19, GEP realized most of the businesses could continue working because they were technologically smart, but the challenge was coops because many Cooperatives needed to evolve and learn how to use the Microsoft office and laptops to further their businesses and that is how the training transpired.

The computer training program was based on Microsoft office like Excel, Word, outlook and more to enhance their skills to better their businesses. The objective was to provide service to 25 coops each in 5 regions (Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng, Johannesburg, West Rand, and Tshwane) GEP ensured the program was a success at providing the necessary skill set.

“I took a lot from this experience, that you can’t know everything as a businessperson, you must keep on learning and teaching yourself new things every day.

I did know about Microsoft word and PowerPoint but I didn’t know how to use the programs. it has given me an awareness about re-learning computer skills, and I wasn’t even aware that I could easily launch my own business and empowering myself to do my own thing “ stated Nomsa Masiya, from Region G.

“This training was very big for us, which will take us far and we want to spread it out there in terms of how to conduct business profiles. That program has taught me a lot and that we want it to continue and help other coops that couldn’t attend the training “” stated Nokthula Nhlapho from Orange Farm.

GEP will continue assisting Cooperatives thrive and prosper.

Phaalana Mahlako in partnership with GEP (Nadas Pillay GEP Manager of Cooperatives & incubation enterprise support)

A HAPPY CHAMBER SHOWS APPRECIATION TO GEP

GEP-Germiston met with Mr Mnguni, the president of the Greater Thembisa Chamber on possible collaboration to assist small enterprises within the Chamber. His biggest concern was that GEP does not appear to reach out to needy entrepreneurs in Townships, and that they as Chambers are inundated with complaints from their members that GEP does not assists. A process was explained to him, and what role the Chamber could play to assist their members through the process of application. The issue of compliance was raised as the biggest for small enterprises. He committed to ensure to work with GEP to ensure qualifying entrepreneurs within the Chambers are assisted. Shortly after the engagement, GEP started receiving applications directed by Mr Mnguni from the Chamber, amongst those were Informal Traders.

GEP Intervention Offered
Informal Traders Grant is one of the popular offerings by GEP to informal business. This grant was initiated seeing the dire need of the Informal Traders who could not be assisted in any way by any DFI due to non-compliance, yet these businesses tend to be very resilient with some having been operating for years sustaining families. Through this grant funding, Informal Traders are boosted with stock and even trading aids such a cooler boxes and smaller utensils to improve their trading conditions.

GEP Team committed to attend to the Informal Traders swiftly as these were a sizeable number from the Greater Thembisa Chamber. A Total of 19 Informal Traders were assisted with stock and some small trading aids to the value of R 5 000 each.

Mr Mnguni was directly involved as the Team would report to him directly on challenges they faced. In this way he got to appreciate the struggles that GEP officials sometimes contend with dealing with small enterprises.

A Token of Appreciation
After the project was successfully completed, Mr Mnguni felt compelled to demonstrate the Chamber’s appreciation of the GEP Team’s effort is a special way. He delivered unannounced to GEP-Germiston offices a Certificate of Appreciation, as well as some refreshments for the Team.

On the 06th of December 2022, GEP in partnership with Manchu group (Answer The Call) held a graduation for the class of 2022 learnership students. The ceremony was held in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The graduation is made possible through the partnership programme between GEP Partnership and Revenue Generation unit the Manchu group. Manchu runs a learnership programme that equip learners with necessary skills for when they start looking for employment. and they students who are living with disability to be placed.

in a job placement. The partnership began two years ago and it has been running successfully since. The agreement is that GEP will give their students training to gain skills that they can use when looking for employment.

The class of 2022 students were placed at contact centre.”Ï trained them on all call centre stuffs, GEP services.

They started their training in March. “We took on a women group this time around. It was mainly focus on women who are disadvantaged from any background they come from.

The learnership runs for a year. The students attend classes on Friday. Manchu/Answer the call is responsible to give students classes and lectures.

They enrolled 6 students.

Part of practicals

Most of them are from afar. They are from out of the Gauteng province

at first when I started learning about GEP it was tricky but as time goes it got easier especially when I had to deal with clients.
When I first got here, we started by theory training to understand how things works at GEP contact centre. I enjoyed working with Sis Nomonde. She made the training easier and simpler to understand. She is a good teacher.

Graduating was a dream come true and I enjoyed every moment of it. We received a certificate, a mouse, powerbank and notebooks. I am glad since this certificate is going to help upgrade my CV.

Limpopo GaMampana
Sis Nomonde was very patient with us. She taught us everything. We are here today because of her. She has been pushing us and encouring us to work hard.
Graduation day was a joyous day. To final did everything and know that I have passed was a happy moment for me.