ROSSLYN, South Africa – Nissan South Africa has announced that it will donate eight vehicles to dynamic South African entrepreneurs to support and help grow their businesses, in partnership with the National Empowerment Fund (NEF).
The sponsorship includes four Nissan NP200 Base models, one NP200 Base+ model, two NP300 Hardbodys and one NV350 panel van.
The vehicles will be handed over by Director Corporate and General Affairs at Nissan Group of Africa, Wonga Mesatywa, and NEF CEO Philisiwe Mthethwa at an event at Nissan’s headquarters, in Rosslyn, Pretoria, on November 23.
"Small and medium-sized enterprises form the backbone of the South African economy," said Mesatywa. "It is estimated that they provide employment to roughly 60 percent of the labor force and account for about 34 percent of South Africa’s GDP. Nissan is in the business of building brands, in producing innovation that excites, and in helping small businesses succeed so that they can continue to create jobs and to support the economy. We believe that these eight beneficiaries have built strong business models and we hope that our vehicles can make their day-to-day activities a little easier and a lot more fulfilling."
The beneficiaries include:
- The FOSST Discovery Centre at the University of Fort Hare, which will use its vehicle to coordinate community-based science projects as part of its efforts to enable and encourage the youth to follow careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
- Khuvena Consultancy CC, trading as Engen Palm Valley, a 100 percent black-owned service station in Roodepoort. Owners Vukani and Nokuthula Khumalo will use their vehicle to transport stock and a variety of day to day activities.
- Okubabayo (Pty) Ltd., a manufacturer of atchaar in Krugersdorp, is a B-BBEE level Two Contributor with 125 percent B-BBEE procurement recognition. It will use its vehicle to grow its business by increasing its stockist footprint.
- Masefane Trading CC is 100 percent black and female-owned construction and civil works company that will use its vehicle to transport equipment to construction sites.
- Dandozest is a 100 percent black woman-owned catering business headed by chef Nontuthuko Constance Shandu. She will use her new vehicle to transport catering equipment.
"One of the market failures that confront black entrepreneurs is limited own capital, and the acquisition of a valuable asset such as business vehicles goes a long way towards improving productivity and growth," said Mthethwa. "That is why the NEF encourages more and more players in the private sector to support enterprise development because it is a direct contribution to inclusive growth. Nissan South Africa must be commended for being a patriotic corporate citizen and embracing the spirit and purport of the BBBEE policy of Government."
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at Nissan-Global.com/EN/.
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