Aspiring entrepreneurs and co-operatives attending the enterprise development workshop organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) together with the City of Tshwane Municipality requested government to increase resources in order to take care of struggling businesses operating at a small scale.
The workshop which was held in Hammanskraal, Pretoria yesterday, was aimed at coordinating and facilitating enterprise development activities aimed at assisting aspiring enterprises to be formalised, so as to access various support interventions offered by the dti and its agencies.
The chairperson of Building Nation Co-operative, Mr Kgotso Ramasa said co-operatives and small businesses should be prioritised in these kinds of workshops and aftercare intensified in order for them to be fully operational.
"The struggle for small businesses is not only a direct lack of financial resources, most of the time it is the lack of know-how of running the business, and without government intervention and support some of us will not survive in the future," said Ramasa.
Ramasa pointed out the need to hold enterprise development workshops frequently in order to keep track of the development and challenges facing small businesses.
The Director of Communications and Marketing at the dti, Ms Qondani Rwigema said working together with stakeholders, sharing information, as well as working with target groups ensures that aspiring entrepreneurs and businesses get through the necessary business steps to be operational and are provided with business growth services.
"the dti's objective today was to work with a focus group of small businesses to develop them in a specific area with the hope of them becoming viable and key in their specific sector," said Rwigema.
Rwigema added that the process would encourage businesses to aspire to be emerging exporters in their respective fields and take part in the different export market platforms offered by the dti.
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