Titled “The SAPOA BEE SMME Contractors to the South African Property Industry”, the publication aims to make it easier to bring developing Black enterprises together with property developers, owners, administrators and practitioners.

Endorsed by both the Property Sector Charter Council and The South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners, the handbook is a national directory of over 600 accredited Black wholly- or majority-owned small businesses, supplying services to property market.

Driven by SAPOA’s Marketing and Communication Committee, Chairperson Mpume Nkabinde explains that the handbook is aimed to assist small businesses showcase themselves to the sector. “This is a unique opportunity and we are proud to be a part of this initiative which serves to give SMMEs ‘a foot in the door’,” says Nkabinde.

Lending its financial resources to the project, Growthpoint Properties is the main sponsor of the SAPOA BEE SMME handbook together with TFMC the secondary sponsor.

“The property sector offers a range of entrepreneurial opportunities. This handbook has created a win-win platform for both the property industry and its new generation of emerging service providers,” says Norbert Sasse, CEO of Growthpoint Properties Limited, the largest listed South African listed property company.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the hand book is a business development tool. It ensures that accredited small businesses are given the best exposure possible to potential clients, affording them a unique and effective opportunity to sustain and grow their businesses.

On the other hand, for property companies, it is an essential resource. The handbook facilitates easy access to accredited BEE SMME service providers, making it effortless to put corporate resources to the best use, further enterprise development and operate in line with Property Sector Transformation Charter guidelines.

Adding to the uniqueness of this project, it is in the spirit of growing small business that the national directory has been compiled with the support of several major property companies.

Providing their own corporate lists of accredited BEE SMME contractors to this project; Growthpoint, JHI, Crowie Holdings, Eris Property Group, Property Sector Charter Council, The South African Institute of Black Property Practitioners, TFMC and Old Mutual Property Investments have combined their resources to ensure the first edition has critical mass and is an effective platform from which it future editions will grow.

“The contribution of these companies has been exceptional and the directory’s success is attributable to the generosity with which this valuable information was so graciously provided,” says Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA. “Each of the businesses listed represents a success story. It is the competitiveness of these small businesses that drive new employment generation and income distribution in South Africa, and we are proud to be associated with them”.

The publication is available in hard-copy and also has an online companion. As a dynamic product, its database and information will be continually updated. In fact, the first print has already been totally snapped-up and a second, updated, press is set for January 2010.

Sasse explains that amongst the reasons that Growthpoint committed to this project is the hope that the publication of this directory will encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses, to the point where their enterprises will be eligible for noting in the directory.