Madikwe Sisal Industrialisation Turnaround, North West Department of Economic Development

R 1 M

in government funding managed
and disbursed by Ntiyiso

Inoperable to Production Ready

plant condition on Ntiyiso’s arrival vs. departure

Life-Changing

outcome for cooperative members who gained skills and ownership

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The Story

Following the success of the Limpopo Sisal project, Ntiyiso Consulting was approached by the North West
Provincial Government’s Department of Economic Affairs to take over and turn around a failing sisal project
at Madikwe. The provincial department had already invested R6 million into a community cooperative
attempting to reestablish operations at an old Bantustan-era sisal plantation, but the setup was incorrect,
the infrastructure was inoperable, and the cooperative lacked the skills to manage or produce meaningfully.

The Challenge

The provincial government had spent substantial funds on a building and plant infrastructure that was, in
its existing state, inoperable due to poor design. Overhauling it risked rendering much of the investment
redundant and required funds the department did not have. The workforce was bloated, top-heavy, and
highly under-skilled, already on a stipend with no link between earnings and productivity. Madikwe’s
remote location, nearly 300km from Gauteng, compounded every logistical challenge.

What We Did

Brought in technical specialists to assess every piece of machinery, with a brief to find the most cost-effective revamp path without full replacement, including sourcing components from abandoned plants in Limpopo

Costed and presented a full repair and modification plan to the departmental steering committee

Redesigned the operational model around the revised infrastructure and presented it for approval

Seconded a Ntiyiso Project/Production Manager to site to take over day-to-day management and run operations from inside

Procured and delivered a comprehensive skills improvement programme covering every part of the value chain

Implemented a strict performance plan linking stipend payments to daily production, measured and enforced rigorously

Managed all disbursements, reporting, and budget expenditure for the R6 million fund

The Impact

From the day Ntiyiso took site, things began changing. The workforce found structured daily work for the
first time, and the attitude of all stakeholders shifted, what had been written off as a failed project began
to feel viable. The plant was revamped to production readiness, Ntiyiso had already secured a market for
the product, and the cooperative was left with the skills to run operations independently. Funding remained
a constraint as production had not yet broken even, but the cooperative now owned a functional sisal farm
and fibre plant, had the capability to operate it, and had experienced a life-changing shift in economic
agency.