AIDC-EC at the NMBM SMME Summit: Building Inclusive Markets

In a compelling display of provincial alignment and enterprise development leadership, the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC) took centre stage at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s SMME Summit, held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on 2 July 2025. The Summit, anchored by the theme “Empowering SMMEs: Connect, Grow and Thrive,” brought together industry leaders committed to deepening economic inclusion in township and rural enterprise ecosystems.

Representing the AIDC-EC, Mr Khaya Njingolo, Executive Manager of the Aftermarket Support Programme, was invited as a panelist alongside executive leaders including Mr A Wakaba (Eastern Cape Development Corporation), Ms U Maholwana (Coega Development Corporation), Mr A Lekganyane (Transnet), Ms K Potgieter (Remax Bay), Mr G Walter (Sovereign Foods), Mr M Maluleke (Airports Company South Africa), Ms Z Gigaba (South African Insurance Association), and Mr H Emeran (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa).

The panel unpacked key enablers of market access, infrastructure, and cross-sector collaborations for driving meaningful SMME development across high-impact sectors.

Mr Njingolo used the platform to shine the spotlight on the Aftermarket Support Programme’s unique offerings - a fully resourced, government-funded initiative designed to close systemic gaps in the automotive aftermarket value chain. He highlighted tangible milestones, including the R2.5 million worth of tools of trade handover to six youth-owned automotive businesses on Youth Day. Coupled with the tools handover initiative that is a technical upliftment mechanism known as the Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL).

These are all structured with one purpose in mind: to spark real transformation in township and rural automotive economies.

On the exhibition floor, the AIDC-EC showcased its active programme pipeline, offering SMMEs and summit delegates direct engagement with the agency’s team and insights into the onboarding and support process.

Behind the Aftermarket Support Programme are four engines of delivery: financial tools tailored to SMME needs, technical and compliance-aligned skills development, hands-on mentorship for business growth, and real pathways to market access, including Occupational Health and Safety industry standards.

This is not support in theory; it is a structured enablement, sharpened to drive competitiveness where it matters most. In moments like this, the government shows what is possible.

The AIDC-EC’s presence at the SMME Summit reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to inclusive economic development, while demonstrating how strategic public-private coordination can make localisation not only a policy aspiration, but a lived reality.