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CREATING A THRIVING GLOBAL SME

BUSINESS COMMUNITY

David White, CEO DRG initiatives are helping to ensure author and lecturer, and member in the organisation, can add Peter Hain, past South African
and BusinessFit that SMEs are given adequate of the SA Chamber UK Exco. value and help the world to transformation campaigner,
support and opportunity to Mobin’s passions and purpose meet and exceed principles and is the organisation’s global
RG and grow and contribute ideas are identically aligned with the actions as detailed in the United president in trade and business.
BusinessFit and innovation to the global work the SA Chamber United Nations seventeen Sustainable
By 2030 Mobin sees CEC and
Dhave been economy. This enables the Kingdom and Durban Chamber Development Goals. GEF contributions in the SME
invited to join the creation of employment of Commerce and Industry Mobin has been particularly sector showing an upliftment
Commonwealth opportunities across all business are doing to expand horizons excited about the DRG and of global environmental,
Entrepreneurs sectors and organisation sizes, and opportunity for SMEs to BusinessFit intention and social, and economic values,
Club and Global thus positively effecting poverty develop trade linkages between model to support development as well as advancements in
Economic Forum. alleviation. Mobin recognises South Africa and the United of more businesses being the fields of science, business
that developing individual and Kingdom. Such relationships and
Developing community hope and pride is way-forward considerations are more successful more often, and technology, resulting in
a healthy, an important outcome focus. It directly aligned, and uniquely and he explained that this increased cooperation and
active, and builds confidence and encourages synergistic. Through our work in model will help to bring solidarity between governments
progressing nation is the contributions from industry BusinessFit SA and BusinessFit confidence to entrepreneurs and business communities
responsibility of every person influencers to propel forward International, we have since our and business leaders running within Commonwealth
within every country. There are SME development and inclusion inception in 2012 recognised that their organisations, as well as countries. Mobin’s team consists
of course certain people who across the entire world. one of the most practical ways to investors who will now more of significant influencers such
are able to influence change and create sustainable employment easily be able to gauge the as Ian Liddel-Grainger MP, who
opportunity in nations, and the CEC’s mission is to link is through the growth of SME quality and effectiveness of is chairman parliamentarian
world at large, more effectively SMEs with global distributors sectors. Mobin has attracted the organisations they choose association, and vice chairman
than others. One of these to recognise and encourage many chambers and governments to support and allocate capital of UK Commonwealth and CEC.
mighty men is the chairman and innovation, to provide access to participate in supporting and resources. Included as well are Lord JD
founder of the Commonwealth to capital and to grow SME this initiative, and as such Waverley, president SME Trade
Entrepreneurs Club (CEC) and opportunities in diverse energy and excitement is being Build SME Sectors and Business; Lord Sheikh,
Global Economic Forum (GEF) sectors such as finance, trade, driven from all corners of the CEC is about momentum, president CEC; Lord Rami
Mr Mobin Rafiq. infrastructure, conservation, Commonwealth, with a common and encourages individuals, Ranger CBE, president CEC;
energy, steel, development of organisations, and governments Lord Taylor, president media
Mobin is passionate about global industrial parks, real estate, focus on lifting and enhancing and creative industries; Lord
poverty alleviation. Through smart cities, agriculture, trade and value creation among with the same outcome Aamer Sarfraz, president venture
intention to contribute ideas
his multi-dimensional approach logistics, technology, health care, Commonwealth countries. capital; Nizam Prince Raunaq
as a technocrat, industrialist tourism, communication, fashion and structural platforms to Yar Khan, patron; and Azim
help build SME sectors across
and philanthropist he has design, education, and skills A Scientific Approach the Commonwealth into Premji, global president.
been able to achieve significant development. CEC has not left a BusinessFit, over the past thriving business communities.
momentum across the entire single stone unturned in its decade, has focused on Mobin highlights further that Through DRG and BusinessFit’s
Commonwealth to develop and drive to rescue and advance developing a scientific approach national and international valuable contributions in the
enable small and medium size vulnerable SME sectors across to support entrepreneurs and government and business fast-developing SME sector,
enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs the entire Commonwealth. business leaders “Building influencers have an important David White was appointed a
and business leaders to grow Better Businesses”, that meet role to play in supporting the CEC Global Ambassador, with
their organisations. This he Mobilising Forward governance, ethical and quality development of SME sectors, the responsibility to encourage
does by instilling skills such as Mobin’s vision extends to the assurance standards, operational and to continue encouraging the engagement and support from
business development, effective concept of mobilising forward, hurdle rates and stakeholder momentum needed to escalate South Africa and African
networking, and opening of which in simple terms helps expectations, and as such to a and enhance SME growth and business influencers and
corridors to international trade organisations upsize to new degree normalising the concept opportunity. South African SME entrepreneurs and
opportunities. It is of course heights and opportunities. of creating successful and transformation alignment business leaders.
SMEs that are the backbone Mobilising forward through sustainable businesses. World programmes encourage that We encourage everyone who
of any developing economy, skills development, mentoring, over, eight out of ten businesses larger organisations procure would like to join this noble
and through Mobin’s passion, and the support of active business fail in their first two years of at least thirty percent of their collaboration, to please visit
experiences, and networks he has ecosystems helps, for example, operation, causing a huge waste goods and services from the organisation website
been able to create the desperately informal sector traders migrate in effort, resources, and invested SMEs, and encourage that www.thece.club or contact
needed momentum to help realise their organisations into the capital. The BusinessFit approach organisations contribute three Lindiwe Bhadi at the DRG office
his vision of a thriving global mainstream economy where guides entrepreneurs and percent of their Net profit on lindiwe@drg.co.za. 
SME business community. they are able to gain greater business leaders through a five- after tax (NPAT) to supplier
Mobin’s networks and influence opportunity and protection. stage quality assurance process. and enterprise development.
This results in clearly defined
in driving SME development is Mobilising forward encourages corrective actions to eliminate Further, considerable points are
unparalleled in the world today. organisations to improve internal errors and blockages, and the generated on the black economic
Mobin has been able to attract efficiencies and operational creation of a Sustainability empowerment scorecard when
support and encouragement for effectiveness, and as such grow Report, where aspects such organisations invest in training
his work from royal dynasties, micro businesses into small as leadership, functional area and development for their staff
parliamentarians, diplomats, businesses, small businesses foundations, metrics, and members. South Africa therefore
bankers, industrialists, military into medium businesses, and employee engagement are linked is in some areas ahead of many
generals, academics, and several medium businesses into larger together. This creates a common Commonwealth countries
thousand SMEs across 56 organisations. Mobin sees clearly language for the organisation, in encouraging progressive
Commonwealth countries. that this vision is achievable, but which supports the focus of economic engagement norms to
realises too that other industry help drive opportunity for the
SME Capacitation influencers, and entrepreneurs meeting organisational and creation of a healthy and vibrant
stakeholder measures, and aligns
CEC and GEF are vanguard and business leaders themselves organisational activities with SME business community. South
organisations in SME need to take advantage of this Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Africa has a lot of experience to
capacitation, leading the way in developmental platform and the standards such as environmental share with the world in regard
new developments and ideas to collaboration momentum CEC impact, contribution to society, to SME development, and it
promote opportunity for SMEs and GEF have created within the and adherence to governance is not unexpected that Lord Mr Mobin Rafiq
within national and international SME sector. standards and best practice
markets. They help to build I was fortunate to be introduced considerations. The Sustainability
strong business relationships to Mobin and CEC and CEF Report is comprehensive in
that encourage and support through Professor Tony Granger, that it also considers where an
public-private partnerships. Such a past Rhodes University business organisation, and individuals

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