Micro-MBA

The main aim of the Micro-MBA programme is to provide small business owners with basic business skills, which they can apply in their daily activities to grow and sustain their businesses. Furthermore, it is supposed to empower them to become self-employed.

The Trident Institute offered the first Micro-MBA programme in 1988 and it was aimed at business owners who had limited access to further education in South Africa. The programme focuses on teaching students basic business skills in class and mentoring sessions after completing the classes at their marketplaces. The main aim of the course has been to enable small business owners to operate their businesses more successfully or to start their own business. Since its formation more than 200 000 people have successfully completed the Micro-MBA course in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The course has been offered by some 300 organisations who have had their trainers trained by Trident Institute. Various independent surveys have shown that between 67% and 81% of former programme students are still successful with their own business or participating in the labour market 18 months after completing the course.[1] The programme has become a successful education tool in basic economic development in South Africa and has spread to other African and Asian countries. The course has been described by the London Financial Times as "Brilliantly Simple and Simply Brilliant!".[2] The founder and CEO of Trident Institute, Cedric Buffler, won the award for Outstanding Social Entrepreneur for 2007 by the Schwab Foundation. The Micro-MBA has not only spread from South Africa to neighbouring African countries (Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria) but also to Asia and South America. Characteristic of these markets is that poor people with small businesses do not have access to supportive business theory and knowledge.

Most organizations that offer Micro-MBA are at least partially funded or sponsored by Nonprofit Organizations. Admissions criteria vary. But mostly it is generally required that participants already have an existing business or a business idea that they want to realize after the course. No specific academic qualifications are required. The most important requirements are high motivation levels and the will to apply the learning to their businesses. Interviews are conducted before choosing applicants to guarantee that they take the opportunity seriously. Implementing organisations are encouraged not to offer the course free of charge. Making even a nominal charge has been found to have a significant impact on the positive outcome of the training.

Micro-MBA is an outcomes-based, learner-driven course. The classroom learning takes about 35 hours to complete and this is followed by at least 3 months of mentoring. Facilitators are trained on the Zoom platform by Trident Institute and are typically business owners or trainers employed by community-based organisations. The facilitators have access to ample supportive materials online and are encouraged to attend subsequent sessions whenever they feel the need. Recordings of the sessions are also available online to certificated trainers. Mentoring and coaching (as opposed to baby-sitting) ensures the long-term success of the programme. The course materials are simple as e.g. workbooks and calculators. The course comprises 8 simple workbooks, which are accessible to persons with a grade 6 level of literacy:

• Market Investigation
• Business calculations on a simple calculator
• Buying
• Costing and Pricing
• Selling
• Money Management
• Stock Control

Workbooks and bookkeeping materials are available in three variants, for Traders, Producers and Service `providers. Facilitators are trained to offer all three options. Only organisations that have had their facilitators certificated by ~Trident institute are permitted to purchase training materials.

• Mini-MBA

Organizations offering Micro-MBAs

• Micro-MBA - Micro-MBA, Trident Institute, South Africa
• Small Business Academy - University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
• Themba Training – Micro-MBA, Thembalitsha, South Africa
• Small enterprise development agency – seda, South Africa
• Themba Training Blog, South Africa

Accreditation

• Services Sector Education & Training Authority – Micro-MBA, Thembalitsha, South Africa

Literature

• Hit the Ground Running - Doing Business Training in South Africa, Mark Waller, Publication on micro business development