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“Enterprise development gives small businesses like us the boost we need to become big businesses.” – Tuelo Matsietsa

In 2017, after six long years of struggling with the typical challenges facing South African SMMEs, Matsietsa Brothers Earthmoving and Equipment – a small earthmoving company in Postmasburg, Northern Cape – joined Kumba Iron Ore’s Inclusive Procurement programme.

Today, the company has six full-time employees – four technicians and two artisans – and is responsible for installing and maintaining the collision avoidance systems (CAS) at Kumba’s Kolomela mine. This work plays a vital role in the mine’s broader safety focus, as the systems help vehicles of all sizes avoid collisions in a busy open-cast environment.

“This is a brand-new project at Kolomela, which presents a learning and development opportunity,” said company co-owner Tuelo Matsietsa. “Kumba Iron Ore has been incredibly supportive in many ways – from providing business incubation training to ensuring consistent cash flow by paying us promptly. This is not only critical to the running of the project, but the sustainability of the business as a whole.”

The emergence of small companies like Matsietsa Brothers is the driving force behind Kumba’s Inclusive Procurement programme. “Our goal, as part of our vision of ‘re-imagining mining’, is to ensure our host communities become sustainable and will thrive long after the mining operations they serve are gone,” says Vusi Maseko, General Manager Supply Chain. “One of the ways we do this is through inclusive procurement and entrepreneur development. This not only builds small businesses in their own right, but increases economic activity in the surrounding communities by creating employment opportunities.”

The future is bright for the Matsietsa Brothers. Not only are they rapidly establishing themselves as experts in the CAS field, they are also looking to build on the services they currently provide and increase the scope of their work with Kolomela.

“We would never have been able to get to this point without Anglo American. Enterprise development gives small businesses like us the boost we need to become big businesses.” says Tuelo Matsietsa.