First Business South Africa Partners
The First Business South Africa development partners have a specialist understanding of MSME development needs, and all have well-established systems and processes to support FBSA supply and value chain development.
Key Partners in FBSA include:
FMCG SDI Supplier Development Initiative
The FMCG SDI consortium model unites public, private, and academic institutions through a coordinated platform that drives enterprise acceleration, infrastructure deployment, and market access for MSMEs. It leverages retailer demand, aggregated procurement, and turnkey production systems to scale rural and township-based consumer goods enterprises across food and non-food sectors. The FMCG SDI development partners have a specialist understanding of FMCG MSME development needs, and all have well-established systems and processes to support FMCG supply and value chain development and operations.
ECDC
Eastern Cape Development Corporation
The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) a Schedule 3D public entity under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) is committed to the development of MSMEs and through Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Supplier Development Initiative, Retailer Localisation Programme, and has provided the programme with an initial R2million seed fund.
Walter Sisulu University Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI)
Walter Sisulu University has long been committed to the development of MSMEs in the Eastern Cape as a community-centric institution. The WSU’s CfERI, which was founded through a partnership between the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), accelerates the growth and success of entrepreneurial enterprises and builds a culture of entrepreneurship among graduates. This is done through business and technology support, provision of physical space and infrastructure, coaching, common services, and market access.
Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency
The Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA) is a Schedule 3C public entity of the EC Provincial Government Department of Agriculture, mandated to commercialise agriculture and rural development. Its core functions include supporting smallholder farmers, enabling rural enterprise development, facilitating access to finance and managing rural infrastructure. ECRDA leads initiatives like Government Procurement of Agricultural Products, aligning public procurement with local production to stimulate economic participation and access to market.
SPAR Eastern Cape Supplier Development Programme
SPAR Eastern Cape provides an open platform to support the development of local suppliers through its private label programme, ‘SaveMor’. This opportunity, valued at over R250 million per annum in retail sales revenue, offers market access potential for more than 200 small and medium enterprises (SMMEs) across district municipalities in the Eastern Cape.
Through the FMCG Supplier Development Initiative, First Business South Africa (FBSA) supports MSMEs in aligning with SPAR’s broader localisation agenda. Working in partnership with the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator, FBSA assists enterprises in bridging compliance, market readiness, and operational requirements, enabling smoother integration into SPAR’s supplier development framework. Our focus remains on empowering MSMEs to sustainably participate in this open commercial platform, driving local production, job creation, and economic inclusion.
SPAR Eastern Cape offers an open platform for the development of local suppliers through its private label programme, ‘SaveMor’.
Valued at over R250 million per annum in retail sales revenue, this opportunity provides market access potential for compliant and market-ready small and medium enterprises (SMMEs) across the Eastern Cape’s district municipalities.
Through structured support and readiness interventions, enterprises within our programme are positioned to participate in such commercial opportunities, contributing to sustainable business growth, expanded market access, and long-term success.
THE OBJECTIVES
Through mobilising private sector investment alongside public sector contributions, the FMCG SDI pursues the following strategic objectives, aligned with national and provincial plans to address unemployment and food insecurity:
Localise production across the FMCG value chain.
.