No easy solutions, only good principles

Nathi Nkomzwayo has faced his share of challenges as the chief executive of Enterprise iLembe, but with a strong purpose and a stronger mission he is confident they can survive the turbulent times ahead.

As the economic development agency of the iLembe District municipality, responsible for driving economic development as well as promoting trade and investment in the region, the philosophy that drives Enterprise iLembe is built on a participatory process.

The agency’s mandate is to promote trade and investment within its four municipalities in the agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and services sector.

The charismatic CEO does not pretend to have easy solutions to the complex economic restrictions currently facing the region.

No-one could have predicted the coronavirus pandemic and the ultimate shutdown of the country.

A rigorous education has equipped him with a firm base to meet the challenges head-on.

Having graduated from the University of KZN with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, a post graduate diploma in business management and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science at the University of Pretoria, Nkomzwayo does not take his responsibilities lightly.

Appointed to the position in June 2017, the father to four girls has more than 18 years’ experience in the manufacturing industry within the private and state-owned entities.

With 10 years at senior management and executive level, the North Coast local who hails from Richards Bay earned Enterprise iLembe an ISO 9001 certification last year by which they can measure their level of excellence.

“As an organisation we wanted to inculcate good governance principles in all spheres of our business operations to ensure we engage in long-term business relationships with our partners that are mindful of our good standing,” said Nkomzwayo, who is determined to make iLembe the destination of choice for investment, business and tourism.

One of the successful programmes that has come out of the agency is the schools nutrition programme.

The programme to feed rural school children in the iLembe region was piloted as a district project in January 2013.

The pilot project proved so successful that it was extended to the rest of the province.

“The programme provides fresh, high quality lunches to more than 155 000 children in some 400 rural primary, secondary and special schools in the region. It is also a poverty alleviation project as all the vegetables are grown on land cultivated by the farming co-operatives in the four main areas of the region.”

The vegetables are taken by Enterprise iLembe to agricultural hubs and cold storage facilities where more than a dozen people have now got temporary jobs. The vegetables are packed and distributed to the schools.

Enterprise iLembe has trained the farmers in basic business skills, such as creating an invoice, to enable them to take part in the programme.

A spin-off is that the farmers’ excess vegetables are now being sold to other customers. Nkomzwayo said the project had achieved its aim of turning subsistence farmers into commercial farmers while their long term aim is to supply hospitals, clinics and prisons.

Another challenge Nkomzwayo is focusing on is high youth unemployment.

“The unemployment challenge within the district is significant. However we are in a prime area with demographics working in our favour. One of the aims on our IDP is to establish a fully fledged incubator that will support businesses, ensuring that people are technically skilled because our focus is on industrialisation.”

As new business challenges emerge during the countrywide shutdown, figuring out how to strike the right balance between short-term priorities and long-term success will surely keep him up at night?

Not so says Nkomzwayo who believes being proactive rather that reactive is the key to navigating through the storm.

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