September 2021.

Loeriesfontein community members, together with key stakeholders, gathered for an event to mark the opening of the town’s first business hub, which was celebrated with an open day on 13 August 2021.

Funded by Loeriesfontein and Khobab Wind Farms, the Loeriesfontein Hub supports entrepreneurs, small businesses owners and the broader Loeriesfontein community, by offering business and administrative support, with the aim of stimulating and driving local business development. Services such as bookkeeping and accounting; tax compliance and other business compliance services; in addition to administrative functions such as email, photocopying, printing, and internet access are available to the community. These services were mostly not available in Loeriesfontein previously.

“In addition to the various services, the Loeriesfontein Hub, also offers support and resources aimed at entrepreneurs, such as training, which is intended to build local business capacity, within the Loeriesfontein communities,” explained Vanessa Fredericks, Economic Development Manager for Loeriesfontein Wind Farm and Khobab Wind Farm.

This programme forms part of the wind farms’ broader Enterprise Development Programme and supports all local entrepreneurs, including recipients and participants in the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) initiative. It further encourages and strengthens the community to be able to drive their own development in a bottom-up approach that drives sustainable development.

“Local entrepreneurs will benefit directly from the resources made available through the Hub, as they now have direct access to services and tools required to achieve and maintain a compliant business,” added Fredericks.

The funding provided by Loeriesfontein Wind Farm and Khobab Wind Farm covered the extensive renovation and refurbishment of the building, in addition to fully fitting the Loeriesfontein Hub with business equipment, furniture, Wi-Fi, computers, printer, projectors, and screens amongst other essential items.

Angels Resource Centres were appointed to establish and manage an incubation programme for the Loeriesfontein Hub. Two incubates have been selected through a pitch deck competition. They formed a company, Loeriesfontein Management Services (Pty) Ltd, that provides the overall management expertise of the hub. These incubates will be trained, mentored and coached by Angels Resource Centres.