Monday 3 December 2012
 
 

uPhongolo Sustainable SMME FAIR a success!!!



This business exhibition was complemented with interactive business seminars where the following organisations presented their services to SMMEs and Communities; NYDA(national Youth Development Agency), Department of Economic Development and Tourism(DEDT), Ithala Business Development Foundation, Trade and Investment KZN (TIKZN), Department of Trade and Industry(DTI), SEDA etc.

 A classy organised Gala dinner was a perfect platform for identification of the investment opportunities where the Honourable Mayor touched key attributes of the area that Business people need to take advantage of.

On behalf of the MEC for Economic Development and Tourism Mr Cosmas Hamadziripi aluded on the key sectors that needs alignment between three spheres of Governement to form perfect mix of our economic development.




This SMME FAIR was closed with a high note by all businesses given opportunity to present their businesses where Sarafina and Maskandi traditional music blessed all the attendees with the soul food.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sunday 28 October 2012


 

LETS MAKE UPHONGOLO A SUSTAINABLE SMALL TOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA

The town is surrounded by sugar cane farms beyond which are high density traditional authority settlements with sparsely distributed game farms.

Agriculture is the main economic sector in uPhongolo Local Municipality which is main based on mono crop i.e. sugarcane. There is limited growth in manufacturing. The local economy is characterised by absence of products beneficiation economic activities. Commodity goods are hauled to other industrial area for further processing as a result the employment creation potential of the area is eroded.

It is in appropriately located to reap the benefits of intensive tourism initiatives due to its natural beauty, existence of tourism related development as well as inherent tourism potential.

ECONOMIC FACTS
 
Adding to the LED PLAN and FORMAL & INFORMAL TRADE REPORT 2011, UPHONGOLO MUNICIPALITY has prioritized important studies that will create economic sustainability and capitalize in all its economic sectors not forgetting its role to boost investors’ confidence.

§  INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND MARKETING STRATEGY

§  FRUIT AND VEGETABLES PROCESSING FACTORY FEASIBILITY STUDY

§  HYDROPHONICS OR GREEN HOUSES FEASIBILITY STUDY

§  TOWN REHABILITATION URBAN DESIGNING
 
Come and join us for the 2 days in Nov.... Support your town by supporting your business!!
 
SMME FAIR PROGRAMME  23 – 24 NOVEMBER 2012

FRIDAY 23 NOV

08H10  OPENING CEREMONY

08H15 – 8H30 GROUPS ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES

08H30 -  9H00 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION

09H00 – 9H30 MAYORAL ADDRESS

09H45 FILLING OF STANDS

     PRESENTATION :

  • 10H15            :      AGRI-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (ADA)
  • 10H30            :      SMALL ENTEPRISE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (SEDA)
  • 11H00            :      KZN GROWTH FUND
  • 11H30            :      TOURISM KZN
BREAK

  • 13H30            :      DEPT. OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM (DEDT) & ITHALA
  • 14H00            :      NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NYDA)
  • 14H30            :      INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (IDC)
       CLOSING

SATURDAY 24 NOV

PRESENTATIONS :
 
  • 10H15            :      NATIONAL EMPOWEREMENT FUND (NEF)
  • 10H30            :      DEPT OF AGRICULTURE
  • 11H00            :      SARS
  • 11H30            :      RICHARDS BAY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ZONE (RBIDZ)
BREAK
 
  • 13H30            :      NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS (EPWP)
  • 14H00            :      TRADE & INVESTMENT KZN (TIKZN)
  • 14H30            :      DEPARTMENT OF TRADE & INDUSTRY (THE DTI)
  • 15H00            :      MOSES KOTANE INSTITUTE
       CLOSING

 
Friday 19 October 2012

uPhongolo Municipality will stage an SMME Fair/ Business exibition for you to showcase your brand and create awareness of products and services ranging from Agriculture, Tourism, Arts and Crafts, Fashion, Retail, Manufacturing etc.


Our SMME Fair is divided into indoor and outdoor advertising where presentations on the other side will be staged by relevant Institutions, Departments, Investors and Funders to share with out Entrepreneurs on their programmes and projects.

The Event will start at the Pongola Rugby Club /Staduim with a Business Breakfast
on the 23rd Nov 2012 @ 8h00 and will end with Gala Dinner on the 24th Nov @ 19h00.

To book a stand you must fill in a registration form obtainable form Marlene Pienaar or Municipality LED office.

Don't miss out on this opportunity. Learn about your business in your town and support them.



Support your town by supporting your Businesses!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
 


 

Thursday 23 August 2012


Marketing Basics for the Small Business

By Laura Lake, About.com Guide

The essence of marketing is to understand your customers' needs and develop a plan that surrounds those needs. Let's face it anyone that has a business has a desire to grow their business. The most effective way to grow and expand your business is by focusing on organic growth.
You can increase organic growth in four different ways. They include:
·         Acquiring more customers

·         Persuading each customer to buy more products

·         Persuading each customer to buy more expensive products or up selling each customer

·         Persuading each customer to buy more profitable products
All four of these increase your revenue and profit. Let me encourage you to focus on the first which is to acquire more customers. Why? Because by acquiring more customers you increase your customer base and your revenues then come from a larger base.
How can you use marketing to acquire more customers?
·         Spend time researching and create a strategic marketing plan.

·         Guide your product development to reach out to customers you aren't currently attracting.

·         Price your products and services competitively.

·         Develop your message and materials based on solution marketing.
The Importance of a Target Market in Small Business
When it comes to your customers keep in mind the importance of target marketing. The reason this is important is that only a proportion of the population is likely to purchase any products or service. By taking time pitch your sales and marketing efforts to the correct niche market you will be more productive and not waste your efforts or time.
It's important to consider your virtual segmentation by selecting particular verticals to present your offerings to. Those verticals will have the particular likelihood of purchasing your products and services. Again, this saves you from wasting valuable time and money.
Small Business Marketing and Large Business Marketing are Different
If you are like the majority of small business owners your marketing budget is limited. The most effective way to market a small business is to create a well rounded program that combines sales activities with your marketing tactics. Your sales activities will not only decrease your out-of-pocket marketing expense but it also adds the value of interacting with your prospective customers and clients. This interaction will provide you with research that is priceless.
Small businesses typically have a limited marketing budget if any at all. Does that mean you can't run with the big dogs? Absolutely not. It just means you have to think a little more creatively. How about launching your marketing campaign by doing one of the following:
·         Call your vendors or associates and ask them to participate with you in co-op advertising.

·         Take some time to send your existing customers' referrals and buying incentives.

·         Have you thought about introducing yourself to the media? Free publicity has the potential to boost your business. By doing this you position yourself as an expert in your field.

·         Invite people into your place of business by piggybacking onto an event. Is there a concert coming to town, are you willing to sell those tickets? It could mean free radio publicity. If that is not your cup of tea, how about a walkathon that is taking place in your area, why not be a public outreach and distribute their material?
When you do spend money on marketing, do not forget to create a way to track those marketing efforts. You can do this by coding your ads, using multiple toll-free telephone numbers, and asking prospects where they heard about you. This enables you to notice when a marketing tactic stops working. You can then quickly replace it with a better choice or method
Getting Started with Small Business Marketing
By being diligent in your marketing and creating an easy strategy such as holding yourself accountable to contact ten customers or potential customers daily five days a week you will see your business grow at an exceptional rate. The great thing is it will not take a large marketing budget to make it happen.

Read more on www.marketing.about.com
Friday 17 August 2012

The town of Pongola is small town just 10 km from the Swaziland border in the foothills of the Lebombo Mountains. Rich in Anglo and Zulu Boer War history, Pongola is surrounded by 50 km² of sugarcane and subtropical fruit plantations. It is just 270 km from the southern gates of the Kruger Park and tourist attractions include local game farms and lodges, the Pongolapoort or Jozini Dam and a local 9-hole golf course.

Pongola lies on the N2, wedged between the Swaziland border and the Phongolo River, meaning ‘the trough’ because of its long, deep pools with steep sides. This river plays an important role in the area, filling the pans with water in flood season and supporting a population of fish, crocodiles, hippos, aquatic birds and people. Where the Pongolo River passes through the Lebombo Mountains is Jozini dam, very popular as a Tiger fishing destination that borders with the Pongola Nature Reserve and Game Reserve, meaning you can view wildlife from a boat on the dam.

A main attraction in Pongola is the Pongola Game Reserve, a private farm through which the Pongola River runs. The area around Pongola is home today to 4 of the Big 5, just the lion is excluded from this list. One can participate in a local Rhino tracking programme on foot and there is also an Elephant tracking programme. Initially, both of these animals were on hunters’ hit lists so that what appeared to be an inexhaustible number of game dwindled fast.

In 1894 Paul Kruger, President of the old Transvaal Republic, declared the Pongola Game Reserve. Today, this has been re-proclaimed, at least in part, as the Pongola Bush Nature Reserve, which borders on the Pongola Game Reserve. The Pongola Bush Nature Reserve contains a valuable piece of mist belt, evergreen forest with fine examples of yellowwood trees and over 120 species of bird. The reserve can only be visited following an arrangement with the KwaZulu Natal Wildlife zone officer.

Saturday 21 July 2012

Now open in pongola, go and have a look at their new shop!!


Saturday 7 July 2012

The South African sugar industry makes an important contribution to the national economy, generating in the region of R6 billion annual direct income. The industry also provides significant employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas.




There are in the region of 42 300 registered sugarcane growers in South Africa. Most farming takes place in Kwa-Zulu Natal, with some farms in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. There are 14 sugarmills currently operating, owned by 5 milling companies.


The South African sugar industry produces an estimated average of 2,5 million tons of sugar per season. South Africa produced a total of 2 273 499 tons in 2007/08 of which 1 399 657 tons was for the national market and 873 842 tons for the international market.


Three companies active in South Africa are Tongaat Hulett, Illovo and TSB.

Tongaat Hulett Sugar, started in 1854, is a world leader in sugar milling technology throughout the Southern African region. It has four mills in South Africa (Maidstone, Darnall, Amatikulu and Felixton) as well as a central refinery, situated in Durban, which has an annual refining capacity of some 600 000 tons.



Illovo Sugar is Africa’s biggest sugar producer with extensive agricultural and manufacturing operations in six African countries. Illovo has a 38% share of industry production in South Africa and is a major supplier of sugar to African consumer and industrial markets.
TSB Sugar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Remgro, has as its core business activity the production of refined and raw sugar that is marketed either nationally, by Quality Sugars under the Selati brand name, or exported through the South African Sugar Association (SASA).

Orchard Bounty Loots n nuwe Kompetisie...Moet nie uitmis op hierdie geleentheid nie:


Kontak  No:

072 205 4701

E-mail: pongola@orchardbounty.co.za
Friday 6 July 2012

The Pongola Golf Club has a lovely country style 9 hole golf course, situated amongst Tamboti tree , sugar cane fields and irrigation dams. Bring your own golf clubs as there are non for hire.

Green Fees

Non-affiliated R100
Affiliated R90

On Course Course Policy

Open Mondays
Visitors welcome everyday

Course Rating

MenWomen
7170

Contact Details

Tel: +27 34 413 1502
Fax: +27 34 413 1502

Physical Address
Cnr Klasie Havenga and Hans Strydom Streets
Pongola
Zululand
KwaZulu-Natal

Location

Pongola is geared for tourism with a small airport, hotel, guest houses, curio centre, community craft stalls and museum, details of the Kingfisher Route experience can be gleaned from the Arts & Crafts Info Centre.

Directions

Take the (N2) north-coast highway towards Empangeni. Pass Empangeni, Mtubatuba and Mkuze. Take the pongola turn-off off the toll road ( at the wimpy ). Once in pongola, pass the police station and the club will be on your right hand side

Inniriet Fees is amper hier....Moet dit nie misloop nie!


Kontak Marinda by 082 414 7158.

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