As a first postgraduate programme of its kind in South Africa, the Postgraduate Diploma in Small Enterprise Consulting (PGDip SEC) is aimed at business owners and entrepreneurs with a professional interest in developing and enhancing current and future business leaders.
Offered by TSIBA Business School the PGDip SEC equips advisors, coaches, mentors, as well as entrepreneurs and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’S), and other professionals to improve the ecosystem to enable micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to scale up. In collaboration with B360 Education Partnerships in Zurich, the PGDip SEC incorporates face-to-face tutoring by industry experts from Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Greece, the United Kingdom and Spain.
The 18-month modular part-time course (NQF Level 8 accreditation) is currently only available at TSIBA Business School and aims to develop its students so that they can meaningfully lead and guide the scale and scope of microenterprises into small and medium-sized businesses.
Founded in 2004, TSIBA Business School (registered with the DHET as TSIBA Education) is an accredited higher education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate business qualifications in entrepreneurial leadership. This is why the PGDIP SEC is such a natural extension to TSIBA’s innovative offerings and accredited qualifications.
“TSIBA identified a clear niche in the market for a formalised, academic programme aimed specifically at those professionals who work closely with entrepreneurs and small business owners to develop their businesses to ensure that they become profitable, sustainable and growth-oriented. Entrepreneurs need expert mentorship, coaching and guidance to navigate their ventures through both the incubation and growth stages,” says Professor Visser, CEO of TSIBA Business School.
TSIBA’s Dean, Dr Riedwaan Kimmie, explains how this programme supports the national economy: “The South African Total Entrepreneurship Activity (TEA) index is at less than 5% – less than half of any other comparable nation. Entrepreneurial activity often fails, not because of great ideas but simply because people do not always appreciate the challenges which come with starting and building a sustainable business: entrepreneurs often have no managerial or financial skills and no help or mentorship. From research it is also clear that most interventions are not successful; this is exactly why we are so passionate about the accredited PGDip SEC which is based on TSIBA’s 15 years of experience working with grassroots entrepreneurs and support organisations.”
The PGDip SEC curriculum combines layers of knowledge and practical
learning, in line with TSIBA’s philosophy. Students select entrepreneurs for
their experiential learning capstone project and consult with their chosen
entrepreneur during and after each block release. In the process, students
experience the entrepreneurial journey and offer support using the acquired
tools of business fundamentals, entrepreneurial creativity, leadership, and
mentoring and coaching. “As a specialist qualification focusing on
entrepreneurship development, PGDip SEC afforded me the perspectives and the
skills (both hard and soft) to understand the unique world of small
businesses,” says Annelien Dean, TSIBA Alumnus, and business owner.
The course consists
of six core modules and a practical learning component. Core modules
include:
- Entrepreneurship Applied Coaching and Mentoring
- Entrepreneurial Finance and Enterprise Consulting
- Leadership and Self-Development
- Business Communication and Information Management
- Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business
- The Global Environment of Business
- Capstone Project in Small Enterprise Consulting
Join the 2020 cohort!
Requirements for this
qualification include a three-year Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and a
minimum of four years of business experience at managerial level.
Alternatively, applicants with a minimum of seven years relevant business
experience can apply, based on recognition of prior learning (RPL).
The Postgraduate Diploma in Small Enterprise Consulting is SAQA accredited and is worth 120 credits which is the stipulated criteria for application for further studies into relevant Masters Programmes. TSIBA is a registered and accredited institution with the DHET (Department of Higher Education & Training).
The course will commence on
23rd March 2020 at TSIBA House, the TSIBA Business School Campus in Treaty
Road, Woodstock. For more information contact the Postgraduate Convenor Mr
Reidwaan Jawoodeen on 021 532 2750 or email study@tsiba.ac.za.
Further information on TSIBA Business School and the Postgraduate Diploma can be found on our the website www.tsiba.ac.za