Incubation Programmes

The AIDC Incubation Programmes Department was responsible for launching South Africa’s first Automotive Incubation Centre at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa’s Silverton plant in 2011 and the Incubation Centre at Nissan SA, Rosslyn in 2019. The AIDC pioneered the incubation concept within the local automotive industry, to provide support to black-owned enterprises and nurture these companies during their start-up phases. These start-up businesses benefit from the AIDC’s programme because they operate within the Incubation facility, receive subsidised rental, are mentored, and trained by professionals, while receiving business development and financial support, among others.

The AIDC provides shared services such as Human Resources, Finance and Payroll at a nominal fee to the incubates. The programme runs from five to seven years, whereafter the incubator then graduates from the incubator to establish themselves as fully-fledged businesses in the automotive industry.

Benefits

  • Subsidised rental

  • Mentorship

  • Professional Training

  • Financial Support

  • Business Development

Objectives:
  • Identify individuals with entrepreneurial aspirations and abilities, thereafter, nurture them into successful businesses,
  • Provide business support, mentoring and training to the incubates, and
  • Identify opportunities in the automotive sector for various components to be included in the incubators with the objective of increasing local content for the sector.

During the course of the programme, incubates supply automotive components directly to the OEM’s production line. The incubates are subcontracted to a Tier 1 component supplier who then provides technical mentoring as required.

The AIDC remains optimistic that all of their incubatees, after graduating, would be able to operate their own successful and sustainable businesses in the automotive value chain.