- Partnership Supporting SMMEs: Buffalo City Metro and the Hollywood Foundation collaborate to empower Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises through the Bambelela Business Awards, offering seminars, pitching sessions, and exhibitions to foster growth.
- Event Focus on Business Development: The initiative includes practical sessions, expert advice, and networking opportunities designed to strengthen local entrepreneurs’ skills and visibility.
- Importance of Self-Representation in Business: Attendees are encouraged to effectively tell their own business stories, as personal storytelling is seen as vital for success and attracting support.
Buffalo City Metro, in partnership with the Hollywood Foundation, is empowering Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) through the Bambelela Business Awards. The initiative features a seminar, pitching sessions, and an exhibition designed to offer practical insights, expert advice, and networking opportunities for local business owners.
BCM General Manager for Trade Industry and Sector Development, Xolelwa Mbete, welcomed attendees, saying, “A warm welcome to the business seminar and pitching event. We are thrilled to have you joining us today for an exciting day of learning, networking, and showcasing innovative business ideas.”
Mbete outlined the importance of self-representation, stating, “It is indeed your responsibility to tell your story, and no one will tell your story better than you.”
She added that a workshop held the previous day provided guidance on how to effectively pitch a business, giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed.
Expressing gratitude to the Hollywood Foundation and stakeholders, Mbete noted, “We feel honoured as a City to be hosting these awards for the first time. This is the start of beautiful things, and we hope this relationship will go far beyond these awards.”
She also emphasized the substantial support for Eastern Cape businesses, sharing, “While the awards started in other provinces with R750,000 in prize money, here in the Eastern Cape, we started with R1 million.”
