With youth month having drawn to a close and women’s month looming, Ithala Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) is on the look-out for KwaZulu-Natal’s top youth and women-owned businesses in the construction sector to join its supplier development programme.

“With the refurbishment of our northern KZN properties in full-swing and future development projects in the pipeline, we want to help 60 fully black-owned, experienced construction businesses move up so that they can become recognised and certified suppliers on our database. We are looking for 30 youth-owned and 30 women-owned business,” said Farhana Abdool-Kader, Acting Properties Executive at Ithala Development Corporation Ltd.

As the champion of township and rural retail development, IDFC recognises the pivotal role of infrastructure development in reducing poverty and promoting economic growth.

As a state-owned entity, we take seriously the call by government for radical economic transformation and the empowerment of the people of the province,” said Abdool-Kader.

“In the past year we have spent R47,25 million refurbishing our oldest retail and office properties in Zululand and this has gone some way to assisting small black- owned businesses based there.

“The projects, which vary from electrical and plumbing to re-roofing, painting and fencing, have been undertaken by 12 businesses - mostly black â€" thus creating employment for 302 people. But we believe that we could do more especially on the construction side of things,” Abdool-Kader said.

To be chosen for selection to the supplier development programme, applicants need to meet stringent requirements. At least one of the applicants needs to be a registered director, owner, partner or shareholder of the construction company and must provide a letter of motivation for joining the supplier development programme.

In addition they must be KwaZulu-Natal based; have a valid BEE certificate or sworn affidavit proving they are 100% black youth or women-owned; have been in operation for at least three years; be registered with CSD as a tax payer and employ a minimum of five people.

They are also required to be registered with the Construction Industry Registration Board and have a grading of 1-3 (in one of the classes of General Building; Water Supply, Drainage and Plumbing; Landscaping, Irrigation and Horticulture or Building Electrical Engineering Works) and have a Certificate of Disease and injuries.

Ends

For enquiries, please send e-mail to supplierdevelopment@ithala.co.za and for inspirational stories visit www.myithalastory.com

Issued by:       Ithala Development Finance Corporation

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