Since the launch of government’s Black Industrialists Programme in 2015, coupled with efforts from the Industrial Development Corporation, the National Empowerment Fund and other agencies, more than 900 black industrialists have been supported, to the value of R55-billion. In turn, this has delivered socioeconomic returns valued at R160-billlion to the economy and created more than 50 000 jobs, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced at the Black Industrialists and Exporters conference, held in Sandton, on July 20.