TechnoServe

Reports to: Hub Manager

Grade: 7

Location: Far Eastern Limb (3), Polokwane Smelter (1), Amandelbult (1)

Travel: Regular travel within target geography and to Johannesburg will be required.

Company Background

TechnoServe (www.technoserve.org) is a non-profit, economic development organization with sustained commitment to its 50-year old founding mission to work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. We are business specialists assisting farmers and other entrepreneurs in 29 countries, increasing their access to information, capital, and markets. The increased income our clients derive enhances resilience and prosperity for their families and communities.

In 2021, TechnoServe’s work helped improve 2.3 million lives, increasing the revenues of 407,000 farms, businesses, and employees by $250 million. Each of our interventions increases the impact on women, who represented 41% of beneficiaries globally in 2021. Our commitment to sustainable impact earned us the designation of the #1 non-profit fighting poverty in 2019 by ImpactMatters, the independent charity ratings agency.

In South Africa, we supported 779 beneficiaries in 2021 to gain $24,9 million (R396m) in increased revenue and wages as a result of our work. A large proportion of the beneficiaries were SMMEs and 43% of those with increased revenue who are women or women-owned businesses.

Program Background

TechnoServe delivers an Enterprise, and Supplier Development program at the client’s operations. The initiative offers the opportunity to deliver transformative economic change by supporting local enterprises to grow their businesses to the next level. The initiative looks to drive broader development across the mining, agricultural, tourism, and retail sectors to support local economic development. In the first four years the initiative supported 10,000 jobs across 8 locations. This global flagship initiative proves the impact of shared value initiatives: namely how business can make investments that both deliver value to shareholders and deliver meaningful impact to individuals and communities in their areas of operation. TechnoServe is delivering this Enterprise, and Supplier Development initiative through a network of hubs, operating under the client’s brand name. The hubs are located across 4 provinces in South Africa. TechnoServe employs a team of 7-8 staff to operate each hub. Each hub delivers business acceleration services (training, mentorship, business development, access to finance, linkages to market opportunities, etc.) to eligible entrepreneurs within a 50-kilometer radius of the hub.

TechnoServe is embarking on a 2-year extension of this successful initiative and we are currently seeking qualified start-up enterprise development Business Advisors to lead the training, coaching and mentorship of start-up businesses in the areas where the program operates. The program aims to promote entrepreneurship through the delivery of impactful training content and mentorship sessions. The Start-Up Enterprise (ED0) offering will be rolled out in and around client’s Kumba Iron Ore (2 hubs) and the Platinum (3 hubs) and Far Eastern Limb (FEL) Polokwane Smelter (1) business units over the extension period.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy development and project management:

• Work with the Hub Managers to develop / refine start-up business strategy for hub, ensuring ongoing learnings are built into evolving design
• Manage all elements of delivering the ED0 program, including:
• Marketing the program
• Developing / refining selection criteria
• Developing / refining application process
• Facilitate and oversee beneficiary selection process
• Provide training and mentorship to all beneficiaries in the program
• Provide business training to program participants
• Provide individual mentorship to program participants
• Diagnosing individual needs of the start-up businesses in the program
• Monitor and track progress of businesses in the program

Demand side initiatives and partnerships:

• Develop, prepare and facilitate training topics and/or workshops to the beneficiary companies according to the needs of the target segment based on work materials available in TechnoServe and the experience/knowledge of the consultant.
• Develop strategic tools that contribute to strengthen knowledge and improve the performance and growth of the companies.
• Provide personalized business advice to entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of the program, providing comprehensive advice in different key areas (marketing and sales, costs and finances, operations, legal aspects, among others).
• Facilitate the development of a business growth plan for all program beneficiaries, with clear milestones;
• Support the formalisation (e.g. relevant registrations and documentation) of businesses to be legally compliant;
• Assist with access to start-up funding and business support for qualifying beneficiaries through relevant Developmental Finance Institutions (DFIs) e.g. NYDA, SEDA, the DTI etc.
• Organize business networking interventions (online webinars and physical gatherings, where applicable) and facilitate entry into pitching competitions for participants in the
• Collect baseline information and indicators of the beneficiary companies or others necessary to facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of the Program.

Monitoring and evaluation

• Report in an accurate and timely manner on performance of the ED0 pillar on all key metrics
• Ensure all learnings from each wave are incorporated to improve the offering continuously

Perform other duties that would be assigned from time to time by the supervisor

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, marketing, Development or related discipline
• At least 5 years of post-graduate experience within the private sector and/or development spheres
• Experience working in Small Business Development
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (in English and local language)
• Strong organizational skills
• Knowledge of the South Africa economic, social and development context – at provincial level preferred
• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills in a multi-cultural environment
• The ability to work independently, adhere to strict deadlines, and function effectively as a member of a global team
• Current / past work / living in target geography (province) preferred
• Strong commitment and dedication to economic development
• Long-term commitment to the project
• Experience working with e-learning platforms (Desirable)
• Valid driving license

Responsibilities, requirements, and application deadline for role can be found at www.TechnoServe.org.