This is aimed at rebranding the district as a food production region through operationalisation of the four big irrigation schemes (Ncora, Qamata, Bilatye and Shiloh), towards creating sustainable rural - based economies.

Key areas of focus are:

• Increasing the number of new hectares under production of crops, fruit, vegetables and grain, with emphasis on yield management through new technologies
• Livestock improvement programmes to support in-district processing facilitie, and
• Improving economic-activity enabling infrastructure in schemes to support commercial production activities

Key challenges identified are:

• Water infrastructure is old, and no longer efficient in many instances
• Economic - activity - supporting infrastructure also has to be updated, refurbished, or replaced, to be in a position to fully support economic activity in schemes
• Limited skills and capacity to operate schemes at a commercial level
• Funding for large scale development projects based on irrigation schemes

This programme is linked to Agricultural production and Agro-processing, with the focus being on building economic value chains from primary production agricultural activities, towards reation of a developed agriculture - driven rural economy.

This programme has been established to identify high value cropping and agricultural production initiatives, as well as drive the development of value chain activities as well as  related industries.  This is done through establishing on markets, on which the production is based, to ensure a continuous stream of value - driven and demand-driven agricultural production, which is the center of agri-business development.

The CHDA recognises that in order for rural communities to be uplifted, there is a need for t skills development programmes that will target both individuals and community enterprises. This will be achieved by CHDA positioning itself as the principal Co-ordinator for accredited multi-sectorial vocational skills training necessary to develop both labour skills and the capacity of local businesses to support increasing economic activity and managerial capacity within the region.

Key areas of intervention for the agency are:

a) Hosting of career seminars to expose learners in high school to further educationa nd training opportunities, as well as encourage enrolments in areas identified as skills-scarce

b) Facilitation of bursaries for young people to access tertiary education and training opportunities

c) Faciliation of internship and learnership opportunities for unemployed youth to access work-place skills and experience

CHDA shall assume a leading role in identifying, assessing and packaging investment opportunities focusing on agro-business vertical integrated model. Further engage new markets that have a potential to rejuvenate regional economy or re-generation, existing business retention, new investment and/or accelerated private sector investment through the following interventions:

1) Promote sustainable vertically integrated agro-business model that ensures broader economic beneficiation within the region,
2) Facilitate the revitalization of Queenstown Industrial Park thereby attracting much needed investment in the district economy
3) Fostering local business linkages between small & medium enterprise and commercial business,
4) Facilitation access to markets both regional, provincial, nationally and extports.
5) Promote creation and/or improvement of enabling environment for business

The CHDA recognises that in order to implement and galvanize support for projects, there is a need to attract partners. Therefore, the target is to have strategic and functional partnerships at community level, all three spheres of government, DFi’s, financial institutions and foreign donor organisations. Secondly CHDA operates in a highly political, diverse stakeholder environment with differing expectations that need to be satisfied. The key areas of interventions will be:

1) Group and map stakeholders according to their expectations and develop strategies to manage the stakeholders accordingly.
2) Interact with stakeholder to listen to concerns, their involvement in the area, and contribution they can play in advancing economic development of the region
3) Develop engagement platforms that bring interest groups and decision makers together to facilitate alignment of activities and ensure information flow.
4) Become a knowledge resource and advisor on investment opportunities and a conduit for the mobilisation of resources that support private public partnerships.

CETA APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) is funding a 3 year apprenticeship program. Thirty beneficiaries are trained in brick-laying at Engcobo. The program started in 15 July 2019 and will end in 2022. CETA is funding the program 100% including a stipend of R3000 per beneficiary. All the beneficiaries come from Engcobo LM. CHDA’s role is to implement this programme.