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20 March 2025 Media Release: GRDM Attends the Shared Services Summit 2025

Media Release: GRDM Attends the Shared Services Summit 2025

For Immediate Release
20 March 2025

A Shared Services Summit, arranged by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Local Government, was held a week ago in Cape Town. The primary objectives of the event were to share best practices relating to services; to enhance the current capacity of those responsible for shared services; and to strategise the efficient implementation of shared services across municipalities.

The GRDM Executive Manager of Corporate Services, Trix Holtzhausen represented the GRDM at the Summit, accompanied by her Human Resources Manager: Michelle Smit.

Holtzhausen presented several current shared services offered by GRDM to delegates. These include: the GRDM Emergency Call Centre, Job Evaluation Coordination (TASK) and the Garden Route Skills Mecca (GRSM).

GRDM Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel, who is in full support of the Shared Services Model of GRDM, said: “The GRDM remains committed to sustaining the Shared Services Model and expanding its reach wherever possible. This progress would not have been achievable without the solid foundation carefully laid down by Trix with the support of current and previous employees. I would like to thank her for spearheading this programme to the level that it is at today.”

Call Centre

“The Call Centre was established in 2008 and is still in operation today. This project proved to be the most successful and longstanding project delivered on a Shared Services basis with Provincial Departments (EMS, Traffic sections) Western Cape, GRDM sand private partners (ER 24) sharing resources to enhance service delivery,” said Holtzhausen.

TASK

She also shared that: “The TASK project revolves around job evaluations within the region and for municipalities from the Central Karoo. It includes twelve (12) municipalities sharing the cost of the service and has been in operation since 2012”.

GRSM

Her presentation concluded with the GRSM. “This Skills Mecca program with various projects was established in 2018 because of the devastating Knysna and Plettenberg wildfires. The GRSM is a socio-economic programme aimed at coordinating all training initiatives across the entire district with the aim of providing opportunities to unemployed and employed youth. Outcomes increase the chances of each learner’s employability based on occupationally based training programmes and work-related experiences. To date, we at the GRDM have attracted R122 million of investment into the district with more than 2000 people already benefited from it. The costs are shared amongst all municipalities within the district in terms of human resources and operational costs. Funding sources for the training programmes are from public as well as private funders nationally and internationally.”

Trix also explained that GRDM also provides shared services relating to Air Quality, Coordination of Minimum Competency Training programme (5 Municipalities sharing costs), and the control of back-up ICT Servers between GRDM, Beaufort-West and Swellendam.

During the Summit, global and national perspectives of successful models and best practices were shared, not only focusing on the good, but the challenges faced too.

The outcome of the Summit for GRDM, is to actively pursue Shared Services as a vehicle for service delivery in the district given the financial constraints that municipalities in South Africa are facing amidst increased community demands and needs. The GRDM is relied on to take leadership in the district by creating an awareness of the benefits of Shared Services or Inter-municipal Cooperation.

The Shared Services Summit 2025 was a much needed step towards fostering collaboration and improving municipal services in the Western Cape.

Feature image caption: Executive Manager for Corporate Services, Trix Holtzhausen is seated (wearing coral/red), with her HR Manager, Michelle Smit, seated left).

ENDS