by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – HUAWEI discloses that its Supplier Development programme has delivered over R13 million (US$697 216) in support to selected partners in 2024.
It has hailed the initiative for transforming local economies.
This is in realisation of small businesses being key contributors to the South African economy – driving innovation as well as job creation.
These organisations are fertile ground for skills development initiatives to take root, giving career-advancing opportunities to a diverse range of workers.
Huawei works hand in hand with over 50 South African small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) suppliers and is a committed partner that empowers these organisations by providing access to everything from materials to training opportunities.
Thozama Matlhapa, Senior BEE Manager at Huawei South Africa said, “The work subcontractors do enables citizens’ access to cutting-edge technologies.”
“They are pivotal drivers of the services we deliver to our customers. Through our supplier development programmes, we enable the growth of the local ICT ecosystem and keep the sector globally competitive,” Matlhapa said.
Christina Naidoo, Chief Operations Officer at Huawei South Africa, said these donations were not just a corporate responsibility endeavour, but an investment in the future of the sector.
“When our partners thrive, Huawei thrives too,” Naidoo said.
She said these two-way collaborations strengthened the local sector through tried and tested industry practices.
“Our vision is to encourage innovation, economic diversity and ultimately to combat local unemployment,” Naidoo said.
Several subcontractors in the telecommunications industry share Huawei’s vision.
These include Mohamed Davids of NADSA.
He has been working with Huawei for more than five years, enabling the latest 5G services for the country’s biggest telecom operators.
For Davids, Huawei’s partnership brings in crucial “remuneration so at the end of the day we can pay our bills.” Davids stressed the importance of this in a country where “a lot of companies fail because they can’t meet the overheads.”
Griffith Sello of Papasmall Trading agreed that small businesses operate in a financially challenging environment as they fight to remain competitive in the ICT sector.
“Huawei contributed a lot towards my company as well as my career as a whole by supporting us with training, and in-house management briefing,” Sello said.
Dineshan Chetty, CEO of the PridinTrading, is optimistic about the role that SMMEs play in the local ICT sector.
“Being an SMME has allowed us to be agile, adapt quickly to new trends, and build strong, close relationships with clients. We’ve seen growth by focusing on innovation, delivering personalised service, and maintaining a high standard of quality in all our projects,” he said.
– CAJ News