Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and her team will, on Thursday, 4 April 2024, descend on the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape to embark on a massive service delivery programme as part of the Ministerial Imbizo. This programme, which will see a huge and massive boost to small businesses operating in the area, is hosted in partnership with the OR Tambo District Municipality and the local municipalities of Ngquza Hill, Port St. Johns, Nyandeni, Mhlontlo and King Sabata Dalindyebo.
The programme will unfold as follows:
Official opening of Kwa-Ntozonke Market in Mthatha
The day’s programme will kick off with the official opening of the Kwa-Ntozonke Market in Mthatha, King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality. The facility is part of the implementation of the department’s Shared Economic Infrastructure Facility (SEIF) programme. Through SEIF, the department seeks to provide SMMEs, co-operatives and the informal sector with decent facilities to conduct their businesses and to create a conducive and modern operational environment for small businesses. This programme also contributes towards advancing the objective of revitilising the township economy.
The Department of Small Business Development funded this project to the tune of R11 700 000.00. Over 100 traders will benefit from this facility. Among the traders who will occupy this facility are those specializing in Xhosa traditional wear, traditional medicines and other items.
This first session of the programme (official opening of Kwa-Ntozonke Market) will take place as follows:
Date: Thursday, 4 April 2024
Time: 9:00
Venue: Madeira Street, Umtata, King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, Eastern Cape.
This will be followed by the second session of the programme – a Ministerial imbizo programme and the handing over of equipment to beneficiaries.
Ministerial imbizo and handover of business equipment to informal traders
Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams will later hand over machinery and equipment to 105 informal traders as part of the department’s Informal and Micro Enterprises Development Programme (IMEDP) programme. IMEDP is a 100% grant that seeks to grow informal and micro enterprises to their full potential by assisting to improve their competitiveness and sustainability. This programme targets SMMEs that are owned by women, youth and people with disabilities, in townships and rural areas of South Africa.
The Minister and Mayors are expected to engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs), informal traders, traditional leaders, business forums and members of the public in a Ministerial imbizo session. Stakeholders, especially small businesses, will have the opportunity to raise their issues with the leadership and to receive immediate and direct responses.
The Ministerial imbizo will also be a platform for entrepreneurs to assess the responsiveness of the department’s programmes to their needs and to make suggestions to the department and its agencies.
The value of an imbizo, as a form of participatory democracy and interactive governance, resides in its unique ability to promote a cross-pollution of ideas between citizens and their elected representatives and to ensure ongoing improvements in the content, quality and pace of service delivery.
There will be exhibitions by the department, its agencies, local municipality and other provincial stakeholders to raise awareness about the range of services and offerings of government that can benefit small businesses and members of the community generally. The Department of Small Business Development and its partners are determined to ensure that government services are accessible to all citizens and that no one is left behind.
The second session of the programme (Ministerial Imbizo session and the handing over of business equipment and machinery) will take place as follows:
Date: Thursday, 4 April 2024
Time: 10:00
Venue: Rhema Umtata Christian Church Hall (RUCC Hall), 898 Errol Spring Avenue, Southernwood, Mthatha
Enquiries:
Cornelius Monama
Spokesperson: Ministry of Small Business Development
Tel: 082 578 4063
Email: cmonama@dsbd,gov.za / cmonama@gmail.com
Twitter: @cmonama
