THE Eskom Small Business Development Expo takes place from September 7-10 at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng and runs alongside the Franchise & Business Opportunities Expo.

The expo provides a platform for black-owned small, medium and microenterprises (SMEs) to market their companies to corporate procurement departments, big business and other small businesses.

The expo is subsidised by the Eskom Development Foundation. Through this initiative, Eskom aims to give both established, successful SMEs as well as start-ups a highly targeted and cost-effective means via which to promote their professional services or products to corporate SA, including Eskom itself.

Like most forms of marketing, expos can be costly ventures for cash-strapped small businesses, so Eskom is offering a 50% subsidy to qualifying exhibitors. To qualify for this subsidy, companies should be black-owned SMEs, be registered businesses and have five or more permanent employees.

“Our sponsorship is more than just a philanthropic gesture,” says Zandile Mjoli, senior GM: corporate social responsibility at Eskom.

“An organisation the size of Eskom has vast requirements in respect of procurement, and we utilise the expo to shop for new service providers and product suppliers to fulfil these many needs.”

This year, expo organiser Thebe Exhibitions has partnered with the organisers of Joburg Business Week to create a single, unified business development initiative that includes the events of Joburg Business Week, the franchise expo and the Eskom Small Business Development Expo, under the umbrella title of Jo’burg Business Week. There will also be a business skills conference to provide skills training and workshops for more then 700 delegates.

Black-owned SMEs can find out more about participating in the expo by contacting Sibusiso Mdakane on (011) 549 8300.