Company Name:The Enterprise Development Corporation (TEDCOR)
Year Founded:1996
Name of Program:Sustainable Waste Management
Sector:Livelihoods
State / Region:
Country:South Africa
Social Impact:As a sustainable solid waste management company that promotes entrepreneurship in under-serviced areas in South Africa, TEDCOR has worked with more than 600,000 households across 20 municipalities. Within these areas, TEDCOR has trained and mentored more than 120 contractors in setting up enterprises, which provide cost-effective waste collection and disposal services within communities. These enterprises have in turn hired more than 1,200 local workers. In bringing together various stakeholders (municipalities, communities, truck manufacturers, individual local contractors, and banks), TEDCOR has had an impact at the public agency level as well as within communities and households. Its business model has been designed to create jobs, skills, and long-term employment for those that have been left behind by mainstream programs and to help improve environmental conditions within communities.
Contact Name:Victor Nemukula
Contact Information:PO Box 71380, Bryanston, 2021, Johannesburg, South Africa
Tel.:+27 11 463 0731
Email:info@tedcor.co.za
Website:http://www.tedcor.co.za/
The Enterprise Development Corporation (TEDCOR): Leveraging Waste to Create Sustainable Enterprises and Clean Communities
John Houghton established TEDCOR in 1996 after purchasing the waste management company from another entrepreneur who had initially created a township waste removal community project. TEDCOR's business model is based on leveraging local residents as sub-contractors for waste management tenders that the company wins from municipalities. After doing a feasibility study on a particular area to find out the number of existing households, the number of garbage trucks needed, and current disposal sites, in addition to other necessary information, TEDCOR recruits residents as contractors. The company then purchases a garbage truck in the name of the contractor and helps the contractor build a small business through on-going business and financial support. One of TEDCOR's main offerings to contractors by way of financial support is that of its accounting department which works with contractors on their individual accounts as well as oversees all financial transactions for the company. TEDCOR's successful business model has enabled the company to win multiple tenders from the same municipalities, which typically last from three to five years each. In this case, TEDCOR is able to provide existing contractors with continued support, though some contractors have grown strong enough through TEDCOR's support to start other small business ventures. While TEDCOR is not seeking investment in its South African operations at the moment, the company is continuously looking into partnerships and for work in the waste management space across Africa. In addition to its domestic waste collection services, the company also offers commercial waste collection, waste recovery, composting, waste to energy services, and consulting services. With a well-functioning model in South Africa, it therefore, seems that TEDCOR's biggest goal for the near future is to work on a large project outside of South Africa.