Samddra

FROM TRAINING TO TRADING | IT STARTED WITH SKILLS

Every journey from training to trading starts with building the right skills.

Through practical mobile-device repair training, beneficiaries develop the technical knowledge and hands-on skills needed for the repair industry.

From understanding mobile technology and electronics to developing safe, practical repair skills, training provides the foundation for the journey towards entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.

Skills build the foundation. From there, the journey continues from training to trading.

Follow SAMDDRA as we continue to showcase the journey behind .

This is one of the reasons SAMDDRA was formed.

The concerns raised in this article about billions of rand potentially leaving South Africa through informal commercial and remittance networks should cause us to think much more seriously about the structure of our township and informal economies. The report cited by IOL News estimates that approximately R6.3 billion generated through foreign-owned spaza businesses in Tshwane alone may have been moved out of South Africa through informal channels. These remain allegations that require proper regulatory and law-enforcement scrutiny.

For SAMDDRA, there is an important economic lesson here.

We cannot allow the same structural weaknesses to become entrenched in the mobile devices, accessories, repair and distribution sector.

South Africa imports billions of rand worth of devices, components and accessories every year. If the downstream economy around those products, distribution, retail, repair, refurbishment, accessories and after-sales services is not deliberately developed locally, we risk becoming merely a market for consumption, while much of the economic value generated in our communities fails to translate into local enterprises, jobs, skills and reinvestment.

This is precisely why SAMDDRA is building an enabling ecosystem around South African mobile-device entrepreneurs.

Our objective is not to exclude people on the basis of nationality. Every legitimate business must operate within South African law and meet the same tax, registration and regulatory requirements.

Our objective is to ensure that South Africans are deliberately enabled to own and participate meaningfully across the mobile-device value chain.

That means:

- developing skilled and accredited local technicians;
- building sustainable township and rural repair enterprises;
- creating access to genuine parts, tools and technology;
- establishing certified repair networks;
- strengthening local distribution and retail channels;
- improving access to finance and working capital;
- partnering with OEMs;
- formalising enterprises and strengthening tax compliance; and
- ensuring that more of the value created in South Africa is reinvested in South Africa.

This is what localisation must mean.

It is not simply about where a product is manufactured. It is about who participates in the economic ecosystem surrounding that product, where the value flows, where skills are developed, where profits are reinvested and where jobs are created.

South Africa cannot build an inclusive digital economy if our people remain consumers at the end of somebody else's value chain.

We must move from consumption to participation, from participation to ownership, and from ownership to sustainable local industries.

That is the work SAMDDRA is determined to continue.

R6.3bn allegedly moved offshore through spaza shops amid terror funding concerns A report has raised concerns about billions of rand allegedly leaving South Africa through informal remittance networks linked to the township economy.

FROM TRAINING TO TRADING | Turning Skills into Sustainable Opportunities

A launch is not the destination. It's where the journey begins.

On 24 August 2026, SAMDDRA, in partnership with the Wholesale & Retail SETA (W&R SETA), launched the Mobile Device Repair Enterprise Programme in Sebokeng: an initiative designed to transform technical training into real economic participation.

This programme goes beyond skills development. It equips aspiring entrepreneurs with accredited mobile device repair training, tools of trade, startup stock, and fully equipped business infrastructure, creating a practical pathway from learning to earning.

· Training.
· Skills Development.
· Tools of Trade
· Business Infrastructure
· Enterprise Development
· Trading Opportunities

Through the campaign, we'll be sharing the stories behind the programme over the coming weeks. From training experiences and container-based enterprises to the entrepreneurs who are already putting their skills to work and creating opportunities within their communities.

Because success should not end with a certificate.

It should lead to a business, an income, and a future filled with possibilities.

This was more than a launch. It was the start of a new chapter for township entrepreneurship and sustainable economic empowerment.

Follow SAMDDRA and join us as we showcase the impact, the entrepreneurs, and the journey from training to trading.

SAMDDRA’s support for the Competition Commission’s Draft Repair Guidelines continues to gain media attention.

TechAfrica News highlights SAMDDRA’s position on building a fairer repair ecosystem and creating greater opportunities for independent repairers and South African SMMEs.

Read the full TechAfrica News article here:

South Africa’s SAMDDRA Backs Competition Commission Draft Repair Guidelines - TechAfrica News SAMDDRA said the regulatory intervention could help improve fairness and transparency in South Africa’s electronics repair and distribution market, while creating greater commercial opportunities for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and reducing costs for consumers.

SAMDDRA’s position on the new repair guidelines has been featured by ITWeb Africa.

Read the full article here: https://itweb.africa/article/samddra-backs-new-repair-guidelines/Olx4z7kaL4lq56km

SAMDDRA backs new repair guidelines Industry body wants global tech brands to open up spare parts and repair access in South Africa.

SAMDDRA AT GOVTECH 2026

SAMDDRA is attending GovTech 2026 at the Durban ICC, taking place from 21–23 September 2026.

GovTech brings together government leaders, technology innovators, industry stakeholders, entrepreneurs and other participants to engage around South Africa’s digital future, innovation and technology-driven solutions.

Joining SAMDDRA at the event are two local mobile-device repair technicians from Umlazi, who are participating in the exhibition and showcasing their technical skills and knowledge in mobile-device repair.

📢MEDIA RELEASE | 16 SEPTEMBER 2026

SAMDDRA, together with its members and industry partners, announces its support for the Competition Commission of South Africa’s Draft Guidelines on repair, service and maintenance aftermarkets.

The media release highlights the importance of reducing consumer costs, strengthening the repair ecosystem and creating greater opportunities for South African SMMEs.

SAMDDRA also calls for greater collaboration with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to support local enterprise development and participation in the technology repair and retail sectors.

📄 Read the full media release here:
https://samddra.org.za/pressroom/samddra-supports-right-to-repair-and-calls-for-oem-partnerships