The food and beverage sector is a vital component of the tourism value chain, contributing significantly to the Central Karoo’s economy. It not only supports local enterprises and employment but also shapes the visitor experience by showcasing the region’s culinary identity.
In 2020, wholesale and retail trade, catering, and accommodation accounted for 13.47% of the Central Karoo’s GDP (Wesgro, 2021), underscoring the sector’s economic importance. Given the substantial opportunities presented by this space to drive inclusive growth and enterprise development, the catering subsector was the focus of an empowerment initiative by Roggeveld Wind Farm.
The project has recently concluded the 2-year Catering Services Enterprise Development Programme, culminating in a graduation ceremony held in Laingsburg, Western Cape.
The multi-year initiative targeted 30 historically disenfranchised women-owned catering SMEs from the neighbouring communities of Laingsburg and Sutherland. The initiative sought to empower the entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary know-how and tools to run compliant and successful businesses. Participants were upskilled in business management, compliance, financial management, baking and cooking, food safety, as well as digital marketing and computer skills.
Furthermore, their businesses were capacitated with branding materials, laptops and catering equipment, which included small and large appliances, cutlery, crockery, and gas stoves, as per the beneficiaries’ choice. The SMEs were also afforded the opportunity to provide catering services during the various training modules. With the training receiving excellent feedback ratings throughout, the hands-on baking and cooking course delivered by qualified Cape Town-based professional chefs in equipped kitchens, as well as the computer skills course, were by far the winners. As one of the Laingsburg participants put it, “The training was very much fruitful, and I did learn a lot for someone who was unable to switch on a computer.”
Delivering the keynote address at the graduation ceremony, Laingsburg Municipality Town Engineer, Mr Komanisi, commended the participants for having stuck it out throughout this journey. He also encouraged them to collaborate in accessing larger catering and related business opportunities locally and beyond, and to operate like businesses that are profit-oriented, as the municipality would like to see them grow their individual businesses.
“We at Red Rocket SA are grateful that we made this programme possible. It has been rewarding to already see the impact of the interventions, resulting in business growth and some even diversifying their service offerings to accommodation and other related services. We look forward to future success stories of these businesses contributing to local employment and the local economies of Laingsburg and Sutherland, respectively. This is just one of the many ways in which Red Rocket does its bit in uplifting and contributing to sustainable communities in its areas of operation,” said Tsholofelo Moote, Red Rocket’s Economic Development and Community Manager.
