Working together
Partnerships
Linking rural enterprise with national advocacy and international markets, through a tripartite alliance and a network of strategic partners.
The tripartite alliance
A continuous pathway for rural enterprise
KZN CRD operates within a tripartite alliance with the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NAFCOC) and the US-Africa Trade Commission. An enterprise can move from incubation at KZN CRD, through mobilisation and empowerment via NAFCOC, to trade and investment linkages through the US-Africa Trade Commission.
KZN Centre for Rural Development
Administration and incubationAgriculture and farming; social development; enterprise and SMME incubation; leadership development; stakeholder management.
NAFCOC
Advocacy, SMME mobilisation and empowermentAdvocacy; SMME development; economic empowerment and transformation; resource mobilisation.
US-Africa Trade Commission
Trade, investment and international market accessTrade and investment mobilisation; international market access; technical support; partnership development.
Strategic partners
Government, skills, finance and traditional leadership
National Centre for Rural Development
From KwaZulu-Natal to a national platform
Building on its work in KwaZulu-Natal, KZN CRD supports the establishment of a proposed National Centre for Rural Development: a national platform for rural innovation, enterprise incubation, research, investment facilitation and coordinated implementation.
KZN CRD will serve as a key administrative and incubation partner.
Rural innovation
New practices, technologies and models for rural economies.
Enterprise incubation
Growing SMMEs and cooperatives at scale.
Research
Evidence to guide rural development policy and practice.
Investment facilitation
Channelling capital into coordinated implementation.
Why partner with KZN CRD
Seven reasons partners choose us
- Established networks. We convene government, traditional leaders, business and communities, with partners including Greater Kokstad Local Municipality, AgriSETA, the Ndelu Traditional Authority and the KZN Provincial House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders.
- Proven track record. In 2023 we delivered a R5 million AgriSETA partnership grant to train 500 smallholder farmers, taking every beneficiary from accredited qualification through company registration to market access.
- Accredited provider. KZN CRD is an AgriSETA-accredited skills development provider (AGRI/c prov/2371/23).
- Accountable delivery. Our PMO function provides planning, governance, reporting and monitoring that funders can rely on.
- End-to-end support. Training, mentorship, finance readiness and market access in one pathway.
- Global reach. Through the tripartite alliance, rural enterprises can reach national and international markets.
- Community legitimacy. Our work is rooted in community priorities and traditional leadership partnerships.
Call to action
Together, we can bridge local potential with global opportunity
KZN CRD welcomes engagement from government departments, development finance institutions, SETAs, private-sector investors, traditional authorities and international partners who share this vision.