HERMAN Mashaba of Lephatsi Investments and founder of Black Like Me; Khanyi Dhlomo, founder and MD of Ndalo Media; and rocket fuel innovator Siyabulela Xuza have one thing in common: being today’s black industrialist.They are entrepreneurs with the capability and expertise to innovate and scale a business, create jobs and contribute positively to economic growth.However, "black industrialist" is not just terminology. It should be a movement to which our children aspire, helping us to breed a nation of inspiring, competitive, collaborative and innovative entrepreneurs.Fostering black industrialists is a strategic imperative. The aim of the Department of Trade and Industry’s programme to create them is to stimulate the growth of the manufacturing sector in particular, since this is where huge job-creation potential lies.The manufacturing sector’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) declined from 20% in 1994 to 12% in 2013. The black industrialist programme could restore the s...
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