The Workplace Challenge Programme, which is aimed at improving the productivity of manufacturing companies, is part of the government’s strategy to empower entrepreneurs in order to grow the country’s economy. This was said by the Deputy Director-General of Special Economic Zones and Economic Transformation at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Mr Sipho Zikode. He was speaking at the 20th anniversary celebration of the programme that was hosted by the dti and Productivity South Africa in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.  The event was hosted at the premises of one of the beneficiaries of the programme, Zamani Engineering, under the theme Ensuring Sustainability for South African Enterprises.

The WPC Programme is a two-year government intervention implemented amongst South African enterprises to improve their productivity and competitiveness, thereby ensuring sustainability of jobs. the dti has been offering the WPC Programme to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) since 1998, hence the national roadshow to celebrate the achievements of the programme and reflect on new opportunities to take the programme to the next level. More than a 1 300 companies have benefitted from the programme.

“As a department we have witnessed the impact that the Workplace Challenge Programme has had on hundreds of companies that we have supported through the programme. The productivity, profitability and competitiveness of many companies have been increased by the programme. The programme is part of government’s strategy to achieve economic growth and empowerment of our entrepreneurs in order to allow them to contribute meaningfully in the economy of the country. We have seen companies increasing production and their competitiveness. This has enabled them to contribute in the national government’s objective of job creation,” said Zikode.

He added that the programme was an integral part of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) which is national government’s blueprint for industrialisation of South Africa.

“As a critical component of IPAP, the Workplace Challenge Programme plays a role in ensuring that we increase the industrial base of the country's economy in order to achieve notable growth. The programme goes a long way in decentralising this industrialisation in order to include all parts of the country, as well broadening the participation of previously disadvantaged people,” said Zikode.

He announced that the dti wanted to ensure that the programme’s main focus in the next years will be on supporting companies that planned to take advantage of the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to ensure their companies continue to be productive, sustainable and competitive.