Welcome and Sawubona to the launch of the saibl blog and business forum. As Chief of Party of the saibl program, I am pleased to offer this opportunity for saibl clients and other stakeholders to weigh in on issues important to them. I hope you take advantage of this forum to learn about potential opportunities and to add your voice to the chorus of business enterprises, corporations and individuals invested in South Africa’s success.saibl is a USAID-funded business linkages program promoting supplier diversity by mobilizing large corporations to open up procurement opportunities for black suppliers, and also investing in making them more competitive (Find more information on the saibl website). We hope this forum will be the centerpiece in a drive to better understand the hopes, challenges, and operating environments of South African businesses.
In working toward that goal, every week this blog will address issues such as supplier diversity, AGOA and BEE certification; it will talk about specific sectors of the South African economy including but not limited to specialty food, wine, and business process outsourcing; and it will also address topical themes like Brand South Africa and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Guest bloggers from a variety of sectors will frequently contribute their expertise and experience to this forum and we hope that you will learn from them, challenge them, and ask them questions about things which matter to you and your business. Do you have questions about exporting to SADC countries or to the United States? Do you need more information on project financing? Do you need sound business advice on new products or business lines? Do you want to find out what you can gain from the establishment of the South African Supplier Diversity Council? This will be the place to initiate those conversations.
In the near future you can expect an analysis of the Off-Shore Technology conference in Houston, Texas, live blogging from saibl-hosted events, as well as contributions from a variety of guest experts who will help put these events in context.
Happy blogging!
John James Read more...
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