A partnership between the Northern Cape Provincial Government, the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and Strata Mining Services is supporting enterprise development and job creation through the opening of the company’s new facility in Kathu.
The approximately R23.5 million development was funded through a blended finance partnership involving the NEF, the Northern Cape SMME Fund and the business promoters.
The investment has supported 162 employment opportunities, including construction jobs, new permanent positions and existing operational jobs that have been sustained.
Located in one of the province’s key mining centres, the new facility includes an office, workshop and warehouse.
It is expected to strengthen Strata Mining Services’ operational capacity and provide the business with a platform to expand its participation in the province’s mining-services economy.
Northern Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Venus Blennies-Magage, said the province’s economic activity must translate into opportunities for local businesses and communities.
“The Northern Cape has significant economic potential, particularly in sectors such as mining and infrastructure,” she said.
She highlighted mining and infrastructure as sectors with significant economic potential, while emphasising the importance of partnerships that turn this potential into enterprise growth, employment and broader participation in the provincial economy.
The Strata project forms part of a wider effort by the provincial government and the NEF to increase the participation of Black-owned and women-owned enterprises across the Northern Cape economy.
Their partnership has supported businesses in sectors including construction and civil engineering, mining services, property, tourism and hospitality, transport and logistics, retail and manufacturing.
The new facility represents an important step in the company’s growth journey for Strata Mining Services.
Director Paulos Ngcobo said the facility will help the business strengthen its operations, expand its technical capabilities and compete more meaningfully in the mining-services sector.
Established in 2020, Strata Mining Services has expanded its services to include equipment rental, repairs, maintenance, technical support, refurbishments and component rebuilds. The company is 75.5% Black-owned and 34.3% women-owned.
Representing the NEF Board, William Mathamela said the investment demonstrates how development finance can contribute to provincial economic development when it is aligned with the growth of local enterprises.
He added that the value of the investment should be measured by what it enables, including stronger local industrial capability, increased Black and women participation, employment and broader economic activity in the province.
The NEF’s involvement is part of its broader mandate to help Black-owned enterprises build productive capacity, own assets, sustain employment and participate more meaningfully in established value chains.
The project demonstrates how collaboration between government, development finance institutions and entrepreneurs can create opportunities for businesses to grow while supporting wider economic participation in the province.
