Cape Town – The Clicks Group has ramped up its incubation support for local black-owned businesses, with the launch of a new SMME supplier listing portal.

This forms part of a raft of measures taken to support small-, medium and micro-enterprises across the Group’s supply chain, says Clicks Group Corporate Affairs Director Bertina Engelbrecht.

The Clicks Group has invested over R500 million in SMME suppliers in the past year and is working closely with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to accelerate local procurement.

“The Clicks Group recognises that SMME development is critical in creating jobs and building a healthier economy,” Engelbrecht says. “We are committed to removing barriers and have worked hard to implement a SMME trading framework that will ease entry into the Clicks eco-system.”

The SMME trading framework offers commercial and business support in the form of marketing, promotions, shared shelf space and business mentorship.

The Clicks Group has been supporting local SMMEs for the past ten years and is a longstanding advocate for multicultural hair care products.

“Since 2005 to date, we have grown local hair care brands on shelf by over 743% percent, with a significant investment in black women-owned businesses,” Engelbrecht says.

“It has been extremely rewarding to see local brands such as AfroBotanics, AfriBerry and Portia M become established and enjoying success in the local market. In fact, Portia M has experienced rapid exponential growth to the extent that it can no longer be classified as an SMME,” explains Engelbrecht.

The Clicks Group intends to target over R4,5 billion worth of procurement spend with black-owned SMMEs over the next three years.

Since January 2021, Clicks has helped to bring six new black-owned suppliers in the haircare and personal care sectors to market, including Masodi Organics’ range of natural hair and body products and AfroBotanics’ new multicultural hair range, Kaio.

A further 12 suppliers are planned for launch by the end of 2021.

This is over and above the existing eight black-owned SMMEs that are currently listed in these categories.

For more information, please visit www.clicks.co.za/supplier-development or e-mail [email protected]

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Issued by Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants on behalf of Clicks Group
For further information kindly contact
Susann Caminada
Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants
0879970111 /08 2775 4891