The Eastern Cape HIV and AIDS Partnership Project grew out of a groundbreaking private-public partnership between the Eastern Cape AIDS Council (ECAC), InWEnt Capacity Building International - Germany, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and SABCOHA.

The project seeks to build on this success with renewed funding from the ECAC and InWEnt, as well as technical expertise from the ECDC and SABCOHA.

Starting in mid-2008, managers at 120 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Mthatha, Queenstown, King William's Town, East London, and Port Elizabeth areas have been trained. The project aims to train managers 280 SMEs in 2009.

In addition, the ECAC will lobby government departments and other strategic partners to join the programme so that it expands its outreach and maximizes its benefits.

A core team of project staff from each partner organisation has contributed technical, financial, administrative, and project management capabilities.

The preliminary success of the programme has been attributed to the high quality service providers in the regions being targeted. The service providers are a group of small enterprises that were upskilled by InWEnt and are given ongoing assistance to deliver world-class training and support follow up to SMEs.

The programme is targeted towards the construction, agricultural, cleaning, security, tourism, and automotive sectors.

All 120 trainees will receive structured follow-up support from the service providers to ensure that they each develop HIV and AIDS workplace policies; distribute condoms and information pamphlets to employees; and make sure that SMEs in the province keep HIV as a top priority to sustain productivity while looking after their human resources.

Additionally, international research indicates that to improve HIV testing and treatment take-up rates, people who believe they may be positive must have a seamless process from being tested to receiving treatment and the Siyakhana Project provides this

The DaimlerChrysler Chamber Health Trust (DCCHT) Siyakhana Project is an international benchmark intervention in which global automotive giant DaimlerChrysler, the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) and German development agency DEG (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH) have established a public private partnership to provide participating small and medium sized companies with tangible HIV and Aids awareness, counselling, testing, treatment, care, support and impact mitigation.

The partners have raised R4,4 million with DaimlerChrysler South Africa (DCSA) contributing 58%, DEG 36% and BKCOB 6% which allows funding of this innovative health care model until the end of 2007.

Siyakhana offers 17 participating companies a unique programme that has been positively received and has improved testing rates and take up of antiretroviral treatment, thus keeping HIV-positive employees strong and economically active for longer. This provides a win-win situation for employers and employees.

This support includes information and education campaigns, policy development, and integrated monitoring and evaluation. Where the SME conditions and infrastructure allow, SABCOHA is able to offer VCT and ARV treatment to employees of these SMEs. Click here to ready more about this project.

For queries, please contact Hugo Canham, the SABCOHA projects manager, on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or               011 880 4821       .