INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The International Leadership Development Programme (ILDP) was launched in 2009 as the W&RSETA’s response to the transformation agenda of the Wholesale and Retail Sector. The ILDP was strategically designed to support the sector to anticipate and navigate market changes and their impact on the economy. The programme equips senior managers with strategic leadership skills by exposing them to cutting-edge retail practices locally and internationally to develop a competitive local retail sector.
The programme targets high potential individuals who have been earmarked for senior or executive positions to accelerate their development through crafted immersions and interaction with global thought leaders.
The ILDP alumni is at over 500 leaders who are making significant strides in advancing the sector, showcasing the programme’s enduring impact on leadership development within the industry.
Currently, 60 delegates are participating in the 2024 ILDP, which is being delivered by the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business which incorporates an executive programme to ensure implementation of the recommendations from the research projects.
RETAIL MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The Retail Management Development Programme (RMDP), which was introduced in 2012 address the skills gaps within the middle management complement as identified in the W&RSETA’s Sector Skills Plan. The programme equips delegates to excel in the operational requirements and enhance their management for the next level of leadership.
To date, the RMDP has been instrumental in developing over 2000 middle managers, supervisors and team leaders.
The 2023/24 RMDP has registered 320 delegates with the Johannesburg Business School (University of Johannesburg), Regent Business School, Gordon Institute of Business Science, Regenesys Business School, and the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL LEADERSHIP CHAIRS
In 2012, the W&RSETA conceptualised the Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chairs initiative as the first in Africa aimed at professionalising the Wholesale and Retail Sector. The first chair was launched at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, followed by Durban University of Technology, University of Johannesburg, and Central University of Technology. The Retail Leadership Chairs are responsible for ensuring cutting-edge research and the development of high level qualifications in collaboration with the sector, labour, and institutions of higher learning. The collaboration between the key role players will ensure a pool of suitably qualified and experienced entrants for the sector and improve skills levels of the current workforce.
BURSARY SCHEME
To address the skills shortages identified in the Sector Skills Plan as well as the barriers to higher education, the W&RSETA established a Bursary Scheme in 2011 to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged students to study wholesale and retail qualifications at public and private universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges. The Bursary Scheme creates a pool of potential employees with scarce and critical skills, thus narrowing the gap between skills supply and demand in the sector. It further promotes and positions wholesale and retail as a career of choice. The scheme is fully administered by institutions of learning.
GRADUATE PLACEMENT AND INTERNSHIP PROJECT
The W&RSETA is cognisant of the plight of unemployed graduates which is largely attributed to the skills mismatch of the graduates and the needs of industry. To this end, the W&RSETA, supported by the Wholesale and Retail Sector, offers students work experience to prepare them for the world of work.
PUBLIC COLLEGE SUPPORT
SEKHUKHUNE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
The W&RSETA launched its first skills development centre in Groblersdal, Limpopo in partnership with Sekhukhune TVET College in 2024. The aim of the R146 million centre is to provide much-needed skills opportunity to the community of Greater Sekhukhune and produce artisans in different sectors, including wholesale and retail. The skills centre is positioned to support the goal of government’s National Development Plan to produce 30 000 artisans annually by 2030.
FREE STATE SKILLS CENTRE
In the Free State, the W&RSETA is investing R60 million to construct a skills development centre in the rural town of Reitz. Young people will be trained on various skills to prepare them for work and to create their own employment opportunities as a contribution to reduce unemployment in the province.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING COLLEGES
The W&RSETA is supporting the country’s 9 Community Education and Training Colleges in their mandate to provide skills development opportunities to young people who are neither in education or training or adults who have not had a chance to study.
The W&RSETA has invested R58 million towards these institutions , which comprises R50 million to establish 54 ICT laboratories and R8 million towards infrastructure and equipment.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOLAR PROJECT
The W&RSETA is supporting TVET and CET colleges from the impact of energy challenges through an investment of R125 million towards alternative energy solution infrastructure. 12 TVET and 8 CET Colleges have been supported.
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE (SME) DISCRETIONARY GRANT
Through the SME Discretionary Grant, the W&RSETA provides funding for small and medium levy-paying companies to benefit from skills development interventions that address their unique needs and to increase the pool of SMEs participating in the W&RSETA programmes. The W&RSETA provides skills development grants up to R9500 to 3500 levy-paying companies through the SME Discretionary Grant annually.
INFORMAL TRADERS AND MICRO ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT (ITAMED) PROGRAMME
The ITAMED programme aims to address the challenges faced by local informal traders and micro enterprises in competing for market share in townships and rural areas. The programme assists informal traders and micro enterprises to position their businesses to compete with big retailers that are entering the township market as well as foreign traders. Annually, the W&RSETA supports over 3000 informal traders with business management skills, including marketing, financial management, customer service, and entrepreneurship. In addition, the W&RSETA provides the participants with a small business grant.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The W&RSETA supports government’s efforts to reduce youth unemployment in South Africa through entrepreneurship. The National Skills Development Plan 2030 prioritises entrepreneurship, and the W&RSETA has accelerated its efforts to assist young people in growing their businesses. Through the Entrepreneurship Development Programme, the W&RSETA supports 300 young people annually in the three-month programme incorporates skills programmes, as well as mentorship and coaching. On completion, the W&RSETA provides a R15 000 grant to the learners to invest in their businesses.
W&RSETA/TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS PROGRAMME
The W&RSETA's partnership with non-profit organisation Taking Care of Business (TCB) to empower disadvantaged women was inspired by the growing need for the empowerment of women to participate in South Africa's economy as well as prevent gender-based violence. Since 2013, the W&RSETA has been collaborating with TCB to deliver a programme aimed at empowering disadvantaged women to be able to stand and work for themselves. The Clothing Bank has partnered with some local clothing retailers who donate excess clothes and appliances to its Development Programme to create self-employment and empower women on how to run their small businesses.
Over 1000 women have benefited from the programme and many of whom are running profitable companies.
THE SMALL-SCALE FARMERS MARKET ACCESS PROJECT
The W&RSETA, in collaboration with Boxer Superstores contributed to the first-of-its-kind Small-Scale Farmers Market Access project in the Eastern Cape. The group of farmers comprising mostly youth and women completed an accredited training programme on requirements to access shelf space of the giant retailer. The R6.3 million project has benefited 272 farmers, of whom 110 are supplying their fresh produce to Boxer Superstores and Choppies. The project is part of the W&RSETA’s objective of developing economically viable rural communities aiming to empower small-scale farmers to become profitable and enable access into retail shelves. In the 2024/25 financial year 200 small scale farmers from Gingindlovu, Eshowe, eMpangeni and Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal are participating in the programme.
W&RSETA IS BREAKING NEW GROUND IN SMME DEVELOPMENT
The W&RSETA continues to innovate its support for the SMME sector, and its latest groundbreaking innovation is an in-market business development and capacitation programme in partnership with Kenyan Zetech University and Wits University. The W&RSETA launched the Informal Traders Exchange Programme with 117 informal traders and exposed them to Nairobi’s thriving informal trade focused on technological and innovation best practices. One of the main components of the programme was the immersion in Nairobi, in collaboration with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce where informal traders were exposed to informal businesses, comprising visits to selected businesses for practical experiential learning in the areas of business automation, innovation, and marketing.
CHINA PREPARES SOUTH AFRICAN TVET GRADUATES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The W&RSETA has partnered with the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre to implement an entrepreneurship programmme in China. 86 young graduates were selected from 11 TVET South African colleges for the 12-month cross-border e-commerce programme with leading colleges and companies in China. The programme commenced in May 2024 and comprises three months training at three top colleges in China and nine months at leading e-commerce companies on online retailing and cross-border business.