Graphit have been appointed as official Network Facilitators for the Department of Trade and Industry’s Black Business Supplier Development Program (BBSDP)

(This can be verified on the DTI website)

Graphit started trading in 2000 as a graphic design business. They specialized in the signage market erecting signage as subcontractors for Design Orientated Team. Projects included the erection of canopies and signage at Shell and Caltex garages nationwide and applying the Castle brand to liquor outlets in Gauteng for SAB. We also did the physical brand changeover of the Perm Building Society to Old Mutual Bank.

We have a design studio that has both Mac and PC platform for the design of printed marketing material.

Since 2005 we have concentrated on helping small business to grow their businesses by advising on different types of marketing material to us as well as coaching. We were also appointed by Swiss Contact to help small business with business development by assisting businesses to prepare for credit applications.

Alan Torley has been involved with the DTI’s BBSDP since 2004.

Executive Management

The executive management of Graphit is undertaken by the company’s founder, Mr. Alan Torley.

As Chief Executive of the company Mr. Torley will assume responsibility for every aspect of Graphit's business plan as well as mapping and controlling the company’s strategic direction, managing its relationship with the DTI, the BBDSP fund managers, and its investors, managing and controlling all budgets, and generally ensuring its ongoing success and profitability.

In fulfilling this role he will draw on the vast entrepreneurial experience which he has gained since training as a mechanical draughtsman and obtaining a National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Torley first showed his capability as an entrepreneur when, in 1977 at the age of 21, he started his first business as a manufacturer of solar water heating panels. In choosing to enter the then new but emerging field he also displayed both courage and vision, two character attributes essential to successful entrepreneurship. In the ensuing years he has also spent a considerable amount of time in the corporate environment specialising in sales and sales management within a diverse range of industries. He is currently working as an independent consultant to the BBSDP fund, helping black owned business benefit from the DTI grant.

About the management team

Contracted Consultants

Mr. Torley has commissioned consults in Cape Town and Johannesburg, to assist with the Marketing and Business Development Services. In doing this he has gained access to the services of three specialist consultants who, like himself, are seasoned entrepreneurs that have, between them, started a number of new ventures, enjoyed several spectacular successes and learned many valuable lessons from their respective failures.

Together, our team, bring a vast amount of firsthand experience of most of the issues related to operating a small business in South Africa, and all of us are committed to assisting the country’s emerging entrepreneurs to navigate their way around the many potential pitfalls they are likely to encounter.

Services offered by Graphit

Business development services include:-

Business plan writing

Assessing viability of a project for the DTI’s BBSDP

Business coaching

Graphics department – brochures, annual reports, websites & printed marketing tools

BBSDP Network Facilitators for the DTI (Department of Trade & Industry)

For the purposes of this document, SMME’s are defined as privately held businesses with fewer than 50 employees and revenues of greater than R500 000 but less than R35 million p/a.

Black owned business includes Indian and coloured shareholders / members