Mfundo Mahlase's Contact Details

Mfundo Mahlase's Company Details

The Siyazisiza Trust

Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa • 22 Employees
Nonprofit Organization Management

The Siyazisiza Trust's overall objective is to promote small enterprise development, currently in food and craft production. Our approach to project implementation has been modified over the years to focus on asset-based community development rather than being needs-driven. Recognising that the communities we assist are some of the most vulnerable and marginalized in South Africa, the Trust makes start-up equipment available for food production and assists with market access for both food and craft products. We have recognised that a common expectation by development organisations, is that producers (whether of food or craft) are expected to take on the roles of administrators, financial managers and marketers. Our new model will focus on the establishment of secondary co-operatives which will manage the marketing, administration and financial management on behalf of geographically selected primary co-operatives, the latter being the producer groups. An initiative to address the challenges of transport in rural areas is currently being developed. The Siyazisiza Trust is currently active in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng where we are directly assisting approximately 3000 previously disadvantaged individuals. The Trust is primarily active in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga but in recent years has expanded to assisting communities in Limpopo and Gauteng in the following districts: