This past month we conducted a virtual interview with Jan Matli, Managing Director and the entrepreneur behind Passiffire-SA, a fire proofing firm based at Riversands Incubation Hub. This is a man who has devoted himself to self-improvement from technical studies, business skills and even the Bible. He had a twenty year career in electronics and telecommunications before switching into a very niche construction speciality.

Bongiwe Althea Moroke officially started Phekhu Business Solutions in June 2016 together with her business partner Pheko Moroke. They offer a broad range of services including reselling and implementing the Ubuntu School Communicator platform, the PBS Policy Admin System used by funeral policy providers as well as undertaking custom software projects. We sat down with Bongiwe to learn more about the business.

A network of African purpose-led Shared Value companies and leaders will participate in the continent’s first ever virtual Shared Value Leadership event from 2-5 June 2020. Digital conversations will focus on challenges faced by business in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, in particular how business has had to adapt and the economic recovery outlook for the region.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2020/APO Group/ — Canon Europe (www.Canon-Europe.com) today announces the launch of Canon Connected, a free-to-access content hub, designed to educate, inspire and entertain photography enthusiasts and videographers. Produced by Canon Ambassadors and community of filmmakers, experts and influencers across Europe, inspiring and educational videos will be uploaded to the hub regularly, enabling people to lean a new skill or perfect their technique during these unprecedented times.

Charou Bread from Ekaya Holdings is proving to be immensely popular during lockdown. Shortly before we were all sent home, Riversands business owner Kershen Naidoo started supplying a few selected Spar stores in Gauteng and the range of roti wraps has been flying off the shelves.
The vegan flatbreads have a shelf life of seven days despite the fact that they contain no preservatives and can be frozen for up to three months. They are also soft and pliable enough to be used as wraps, which is unusual.

Riversands entrepreneur Patience Nkomo is not one to throw her hands up in despair simply because there’s a pandemic sweeping the world. As the name of her business suggests, Touch Car Care Solutions usually sells waterless, eco-friendly car care products through a team of distributors in the different provinces. When lockdown came, the distributors looked to her for support so she realised she had to make a plan to replace the business’s income.

Essential services are exempt from lockdown (obviously taking social distancing and protection precautions for personnel on the road) and two businesses at Riversands Incubation Hub are deemed essential: Organic Matters which removes fat from grease traps for supermarkets and Montech Calibration Services which calibrates equipment for a medical client.

On the Riversands campus, Ndumiso Mathebula from Asiye Green is known as a determined, resilient business owner who never gives up and always manages to look on the bright side of life.
These characteristics have allowed Ndumiso to leverage off the fact that people are in lockdown to call old contacts and set up virtual sales meetings. “Lockdown is the best time to call people because now they have no excuse to not answer the phone!” was his take on the situation.

Entrepreneur Joel Kaplan’s organisation Thought Africa is crowdfunding to provide 100 000 EduCare packs for disadvantaged children during the lockdown. As a Riversands Incubation Hub partner, Kaplan is no stranger to social entrepreneurship and had the idea of creating physical packs to encourage youngsters to learn to code and do DIY projects offline.

As Riversands Incubation Hub, the continued growth of small businesses in South Africa is what we strive to achieve every day. Yet, with unprecedented circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it now requires us all to look at the world from a different perspective. We support the President’s call and the efforts of government, business and civil society to defeat this disease, and our priority remains the health and safety of our tenants, colleagues and contractors.