Global Export Accelerator Programme (GEAP)
supported by GIZ, E4D and the German Government
The Global Export Accelerator Programme (GEAP) was designed to capacitate established black-owned SMME’s, to assist them to become export-ready, and to facilitate market access.
The initial 21 month programme was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, E4D and the German Government.
Despite its relatively short duration, the programme yielded some impressive results. The 37 participating enterprises all showed some growth, with the top 3 performers boasting turnover increases of 354%; 172% and 67% respectively. Collectively the participating companies employed an additional 91 employees.
Why this project?
Because South Africa has an SMME failure rate far higher than the rest of the world – between 70% and 80% of SMME’s in our country fail within the first 5 years. The reasons cited are as follows: running out of money; wrong market; lack of research; bad partnerships; ineffective marketing and a lack of critical expertise.
GEAP was designed to address these shortcomings and to provide the necessary knowledge and support to enable growth.
The other compelling reason is that the development of SMME’s is essential in addressing:
- Unemployment, currently at 32.1% – according to the World Bank, South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world;
- Low Economic Growth – South Africa is growing at less than 1%; and
- The equitable distribution of resources – South Africa has the highest income in equality in the inequality in the world, with a Gini coefficient of 0.67.
Why the focus on exports?
GEAP doesn’t only focus on exports, it focuses on market access, both local and abroad, but with our low economic growth rate it makes sense to explore opportunities beyond South Africa’s borders. In addition, the recent establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has opened up numerous trade opportunities in Africa.
supported by KZN Economic Development,
Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA)
Because the objectives of the Global Export Accelerator Programme (GEAP) are so closely aligned to those of the KZN Exporter Competitiveness Programme (KECP) envisioned by the KZN Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), the EDTEA has entered a 2-year partnership with the PMCB to support 55 enterprises with export readiness, market identification and market access facilitation. The programme commenced on the 4th September 2023 and will conclude on the 3rd September 2025.
GEAP Gallery
