WELCOME ADDRESS: Workplace Challenge Programme Mpumalanga
Milestone Event


Ms Amelia Naidoo, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Productivity SA
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.


To our Programme Director for today’s event, Mr Mninawa Zwakala, Senior
Manager: Region 3 at Productivity SA, thank you for guiding us through today’s
programme.


To our colleagues and partners from the Department of Trade, Industry and
Competition, the Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and
Tourism, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency — SEDFA, the
Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency — MEGA, and the Automotive Industry
Development Centre Eastern Cape, we warmly welcome you and thank you for
joining us.


I would also like to acknowledge our representatives from local government,
academia, business and the broader enterprise development ecosystem. Your
presence reflects the importance of collaboration in building a more productive and
competitive economy.


A special welcome to Mr Mandla Sibiya, Provincial Manager of SEDFA, who will
share a message of support with us later in the programme; Mr Wiseman Myeni from
the dtic, who will provide an overview of the dtic incentives; and Ms Smangele
Nkwinika, General Manager: Funding at MEGA, who will deliver our keynote
address.


We also look forward to hearing from AIDC Eastern Cape as they share their
presentation on the National Quality Productivity Network. But most importantly, I
would like to warmly welcome the enterprises whose journeys we are celebrating
today.


To Ms Dineo of Dee’s African Spa; Ms Fikile Mazhaka, Director of Shi Xi Xigombe;
and Ms Gracious Masuku of Danica Primary — thank you for being willing to share
your experiences with us.


Your businesses represent different sectors, different journeys and different
experiences. But what you have in common is a willingness to learn, to improve and
to take the steps necessary to become more productive, more competitive and more
sustainable. We look forward to hearing your stories.

And to all the entrepreneurs, workers, managers, stakeholders and colleagues joining
us today: a very warm welcome to this important Workplace Challenge Programme
Milestone Event.


It is a privilege to welcome you today as we reflect on progress, celebrate achievement
and, most importantly, look ahead to what is possible when we choose to work
differently and work together through the implementation of the Workplace Challenge
Programme.

I want to say at the outset: today’s event is about more than simply marking a
milestone. It is about recognising the people and partnerships that make progress
possible. It is about celebrating what has been achieved. And it is about asking
ourselves what more can be done.


Our theme today is “Beyond the Usual: Bold Moves for Bigger Impact.” I believe
this is more than simply an event theme. It is a call to action. Because the challenges
facing South Africa require us to do more than simply continue doing what we have
always done.


We must be prepared to challenge the status quo. We must be prepared to learn, to
innovate, to collaborate and, sometimes, to take bold steps beyond what is familiar
and comfortable.


As Nelson Mandela reminded us: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” That
spirit is very much at the heart of the Workplace Challenge Programme.


For almost three decades, Productivity SA has administered and managed the
Workplace Challenge Programme, funded by the Department of Trade, Industry and
Competition. The Programme is one of South Africa’s important instruments for
building productive, competitive and sustainable enterprises.


Its purpose is not simply to tell businesses to become more productive. It is to work
alongside enterprises and their people to understand where improvements can be
made — in processes, in value chains, in skills, in relationships and in the way work
is done.


It is about building a culture of continuous improvement. And perhaps most
importantly, it is about recognising that productivity is not only about numbers and
systems. It is about people. It is about people having the knowledge, skills, confidence
and opportunity to make things better. That is why the work we are celebrating today
matters so much.


During the 2025/26 financial year, 156 enterprises across Mpumalanga were
capacitated to promote a culture of productivity. A further 211 entrepreneurs, workers
and managers received capacity-building interventions, while 39 Productivity
Champions were trained. Six companies, employing 262 people, were also enrolled in
the four-month Kaizen Programme. These are important numbers. But behind every
number is a person. Behind every enterprise is a story.

Behind every improvement is someone who asked: “Can we do this better?” And
that is the real power of the Workplace Challenge Programme.
Mpumalanga is a province of extraordinary potential. It is a province with a strong
agricultural base, significant tourism potential, a diverse enterprise landscape and
communities with enormous entrepreneurial energy. From Bushbuckridge to
Ehlanzeni, from Gert Sibande to Nkangala, the province reflects the diversity and
potential of South Africa’s productive economy.


But potential alone is not enough. Potential must be supported. It must be developed.
It must be connected to markets, skills, finance, technology and opportunities. And this
is why partnerships are so important. The progress we are celebrating today has not
been achieved by one organisation working alone. It has been made possible through
collaboration with partners such as the Mpumalanga Department of Economic
Development and Tourism, SEDFA, the dtic, municipalities, business and other
stakeholders.


The partnership between Productivity SA and SEDFA, for example, has been built
over many years and has supported interventions ranging from Productivity
Awareness Workshops and Kaizen programmes to Business Performance
Improvement Workshops and skills development.


This is what partnership looks like in practice. It is not simply signing an agreement. It
is taking collective responsibility for creating an environment in which enterprises can
survive, grow and become more competitive. It is about asking:
What can we do together that none of us could achieve alone?


That question is particularly important when we consider the latest results from the
2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook. South Africa has improved its global
competitiveness ranking by ten places — moving from 64th in 2025 to 54th out of 70
economies in 2026.


This is encouraging progress. It tells us that improvement is possible. It tells us that
when the right conditions begin to come together, progress can happen. But it also
reminds us that competitiveness is not something that can be achieved from the top
down alone.


A country’s competitiveness is ultimately built in its institutions, its communities, its
workplaces and its enterprises. It is built in the decisions that business owners make
every day. It is built when a company eliminates waste.


When a team improves a process. When a manager listens to employees. When
workers are empowered to contribute ideas. When a small business becomes more
efficient, more sustainable and more competitive. That is why programmes such as
the Workplace Challenge Programme are so important. The IMD results give us a
national picture.


The work taking place here in Mpumalanga gives us the practical, everyday picture of
what competitiveness looks like. It looks like a woman-owned business that continues
to grow. It looks like a family agricultural enterprise that has demonstrated resilience
across generations. It looks like a clothing manufacturer in Thulamahashe creating
products for its community and supplying local schools.


It looks like entrepreneurs who are prepared to learn, adapt and improve. These are
not small stories. These are the building blocks of a productive economy.
And there is something especially significant about gathering in July, 2 days after
celebrating Nelson Mandela’s birthday on Saturday, 18th July. As we know, July is
dedicated as Mandela Month. Madiba gave us many powerful lessons, but perhaps
one of the most enduring is that meaningful change is built through action. Not simply
through what we say. But through what we do. Mandela Day reminds us of the power
of one person taking responsibility for making a difference. But it also reminds us of
the power of collective action. That is exactly what we are celebrating today.


The work of individuals. The strength of enterprises. The commitment of workers and
managers. The dedication of programme practitioners. And the power of partnerships.
Mandela once said: “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in
it.” Today, I would like to suggest that the future of a more productive and competitive
South Africa is also in our hands.


It is in the hands of every entrepreneur who refuses to give up. It is in the hands of
every business that chooses to improve. It is in the hands of every worker who
contributes an idea. It is in the hands of every partner who makes time, resources and
expertise available. And it is in the hands of organisations such as Productivity SA,
which have a responsibility to support enterprises to become more productive,
sustainable and competitive.


As we listen today to the experiences of Dee’s African Spa, Shi Xi Xigombe and Danica
Primary, I encourage us not to hear these simply as individual company stories. Listen
for the lessons. Listen for the challenges. Listen for the turning points. Listen for what
happens when people are given support, knowledge and the opportunity to improve.
Because every successful enterprise has the potential to become a model for another.
Every lesson learned can be shared. Every improvement can inspire another
improvement. And every bold move can create a bigger impact than we initially
imagined.


So, as we celebrate the milestones achieved, let us also challenge ourselves. Let us
not be satisfied with simply maintaining the status quo.Let us continue to ask: What
more is possible? What can we improve? What can we do differently? And what
bold move must we make next?


Because South Africa needs enterprises that are not only able to survive, but able to
grow. We need enterprises that create productive and decent employment,
workplaces that value people and continuous improvement, partnerships that move
beyond good intentions to measurable impact. And we need all of us to recognise that
competitiveness is not a destination.

It is a journey. A journey of learning, improvement, collaboration and, sometimes, a
journey of courage.


To all the companies participating in the Workplace Challenge Programme: thank you
for allowing us to walk this journey with you. To our partners: thank you for your
commitment and collaboration.


To the Productivity SA team: thank you for the work you do every day to translate the
idea of productivity into practical support for enterprises and people.


And to everyone joining us today: thank you for being part of this important
conversation. May today’s event be more than a celebration of what has already been
achieved. May it inspire the next bold move. May it strengthen the partnerships that
make progress possible. And may it remind us that bigger impact often begins with
one simple decision: to do something better than we did it yesterday.


As we move beyond the usual, let us be bold in our thinking, courageous in our
actions and relentless in our pursuit of impact.


Because when we improve our enterprises, we strengthen our communities. When we
strengthen our communities, we strengthen our economy. And when we strengthen
our economy, we contribute to building the productive, inclusive and competitive South
Africa that we all want to see.

wish you a successful and inspiring Workplace Challenge Programme Milestone
Event. And, once again, a very warm welcome to all of you.


Thank you.