An outcomes evaluation of the NDC fruit Processors factory in Nkowankowa, Greater Tzaneen, Limpopo province
STATUS: Current
PROJECT LEADER:
Van der Bergh, GM (Mr Gray), Mupela, EN (Dr Evans)
OTHER TEAM MEMBERS: Booysen, AS (Ms Denise),
Ndlovu, MP (Mr Phumlani),
Hart, TGB (Dr Tim),
Ngandu, NSC (Mr Stewart), Galante, C. (Ms Charmaine),
Ramoroka, KH (Dr Kgabo), Mhula Links, AL (Ms Alex), Owusu-Sekyere, E (Dr Emmanuel)
DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE: ()
DATASETS:
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Abstract
The core of the Terms of Reference is the provision of a service in carrying out an economic impact evaluation of the Wolkberg Fruit Processors, WFP (formerly known as the NkowaNkowa Demonstration Centre, NDC) fruit processing plant in Tzaneen. For the greater Tzaneen area agriculture is the most important economic activity with the growing of fruits such as mangoes, bananas, marula, grapefruit and oranges dominating the farming activities of the area. The plant was set up as a way to create employment through a local product beneficiation process that would stimulate and support local small business initiatives. The DST would like to evaluate to what extent this initiative has impacted on the local economic life of the greater Tzaneen municipality.
The broad purpose of the project is to carry out a socio-economic impact assessment of the WFP/NDC operations in the Greater Tzaneen area, including NkowNkowa. In measuring the socio-economic impact of the WFP/NDC an understanding will be gained of how the agro-processing and the entrepreneur aspects of the business influenced the different dimensions of poverty in the fruit suppliers, entrepreneurs, buyers and the surrounding communities. The WFP/NDC is still managed as a project and it is crucial that the business entity that it evolves into, best fits the vision (improving the quality of lives of the community); the social dynamics (historical, cultural and gender realities); and the business aspirations of the community. Essentially the two key objectives are the following:
1 Determination of the socioeconomic impact of this project on the local economy and its actors.
2 Development of an appropriate business model to transform the project into a fully-fledged enterprise.
3 To draw lessons and recommendations from the results of the study.
