Khayelitsha’s busiest cooked meat market at the Town Two intersection was given a multi-million rand upgrade by the City of Cape Town.
Mayoral committee member for urban management, Grant Twigg, who handed over the facility to meat vendors last Thursday, said the upgrade would make the meat market a viable trading entity.
“It was due to the damaged perimeter fence in this trading area that incidents of vandalism increased,” he said.
“These improvements will contribute towards a community asset that supports and enhances local economic development in Khayelitsha.”
He said the informal sector was a key contributor to Cape Town’s economy and it was for this reason that the City had invested in the upgrade.
“I am very pleased that today, we are handing over this upgraded space to the informal traders.
“We are grateful that what was initiated as a strategic move to improve the trading conditions of informal traders has finally come to fruition,” said Mr Twigg.
“Improving the trading conditions of this facility is also a positive step towards the regularisation of trading conditions in the area through a trading plan,” he said.
The upgrade included repairs to the fence, gates, windows and doors. It also included plumbing upgrades, repair and restoration of paving as well as the painting of the internal and external walls.
The informal sector is a key contributor to Cape Town’s economy. Challenges to the physical, infrastructural, safety and operating conditions and standards have a direct impact on the viability of the informal sector.
“Consumer experiences are also directly and adversely affected by deteriorating conditions. This upgrade will improve the trading conditions of the informal traders operating at the Town Two Meat Market and also ultimately improve customer experience. The traders now need to take ownership of this and make sure that it is well maintained as their livelihoods depend on it,” said Mr Twigg.
One of the traders, Ntombekhaya Tontsi, said she was very excited to have their place revamped. “Our clients will be pleased because the place is much cleaner now,” she said.