17 August 2006
In 1956, 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in protest against the
pass laws of the time and in 1976 the youth protested against the oppression of
Apartheid.
In 2006, 50 years after the Women's March, the Western Cape Minister of
Environment, Planning and Economic Development, Tasneem Essop, has set aside R4
million to support 80 sustainable women's enterprises and R2 million to support
60 sustainable youth enterprises.
Why? Because developmental states have found an interesting correlation
between entrepreneurs and economic growth. The Western Cape Government has
identified the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sector and entrepreneurs as a
vehicle to bring about economic growth and development.
On 18 August the Premier of the Western Cape, Ebrahim Rasool, and Minister
Tasneem Essop will honour the 140 entrepreneurs from across the Western Cape
who will be receiving their letters of intent at a luncheon to be held at the
Kenilworth Racecourse in Kenilworth, Cape Town.
In so doing, the government is committing itself to:
* stimulate entrepreneurship among women and the youth
* support existing and new business adventures
* catalyse the reversal of the failure rate and find ways of supporting the
entrepreneur through the entrepreneurial journey
The RED Door centres played a pivotal role in identifying suitable
candidates. The Youth Commission assisted with identifying youth
candidates.
Each of these entrepreneurs has already completed some distance of the
journey. Their business plans were assessed in terms of the idea, market,
financial requirements, cash flow and competency and skill. Each of them had to
adhere to by laws and trade licenses.
This project will also bear non-quantifiable fruit:
* it will increase skills levels
* raise the dignity of communities
* create growth and development opportunity
* create optimism amongst the Youth and women about the future
Enquiries:
Lynnette Johns
Ministerial Media Officer
Tell: (021) 483 3915
Fax: (021) 483 6081
Cell: 083 310 0113
Agnes van den Berg
Communicationâs Manager
Tel: (021) 483 9160
Cell: 073 148 8907
Issued by: Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Western Cape
Provincial Government
17 August 2006
