According to Mark Gogarty, MD of Mace Promotions: "We recently hosted the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, TD, at two of the cooperations that we've established in Ekurhuleni, as well as representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Small Business Development Unit in the local government and JCCI, and we are very pleased with the positive feedback we have received. It was clear to everyone who attended on the day that the model we have developed for these cooperations works - and works well. As seeing is believing, we had the privilege to host senior officials and show them the potential that comes from creating local job opportunities where people live - where these officials were able to recognise and understand the impact this can have on whole communities by contributing to their immediate economy and making a real difference in people's lives."
The local textile industry represents a unique and keen opportunity as operations can be established with as few as five members. However, through the multiplier effect these cooperations can have tangible impacts on whole communities by contributing to the immediate economy - as well as the macro-economic potential by contributing real growth to the local textile industry and broader economy by minimising imports and growing exports.
These cooperations embody a classic hub-and-spoke model, though made simple and adapted to ensure they align with the New Growth Path Local Procurement Accord, which was signed into regulation in South Africa in 2012. "There is ample opportunity to create new and sustainable jobs for South African citizens within the textile and manufacturing industries, as well as significantly contribute to the country's economy. This is exactly what the Local Procurement Accord seeks to do by upscaling local industries so as to make them more competitive globally - and, ultimately, redirect billions of rand to local manufacturers," said Gogarty.
What Mace Promotions has achieved by embracing the Local Procurement Accord runs far deeper than simply achieving BEE credentials or dividends. It's about creating real empowerment and making an impact on people's lives. The model, however, that Mace Promotions has developed not only demonstrates what is possible with a number of smaller operations, but can also be replicated in other regions with future expansions.
Gogarty said: "We are so passionate about this model that we have a vision to take it countrywide. As a first point, we'll look at possibly expanding to rural KwaZulu-Natal and/or the rural Eastern Cape. However, for us to be able to do this there needs to be a change in behaviour. Corporates and government departments alike need to change their habits around procuring textiles and promotional material from short term, to medium or even long term by planning and ordering up front for at least six to12 months of merchandise at a time."
Promotional merchandise spend often sits in marketing budgets; however, too often, various departments within an entity don't collaborate on their future planning, which doesn't enable the marketing team to plan ahead across the business or government entity. "However, by changing this and committing to longer-term planning and local procurement, every business and government department within South Africa can be part of growing the value chain in the local textile industry through community cooperations with the overall objective being to create meaningful and sustainable job opportunities in the country," concluded Gogarty.
