It’s important to stand united against the protection rackets plaguing businesses, says Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO John Lawson.
He was speaking to about 100 emerging and established businesspeople at the relaunch of the chamber’s Khayelitsha chapter, held at the Isivivana Centre, on Wednesday July 31.
Held in partnership with the Silulo Foundation and some banks, the event offered the entrepreneurs advice on how to access finance and succeed against the odds.
“We provide services for businesses to network and do things as a collective. We’ve got to broaden opportunities for people to access finances and opportunities. We provide support services, but we need local leaders to lead and shape themselves. It is about people saving their own future. Stand up; as we stand up together, there is a new opportunity. If they stand together things are possible. We are not pushing, we just want to provide opportunities,” Mr Lawson said.
He acknowledged the hardships businesses faced from the protection rackets, and said: “If they stand as a collective, they will make themselves better for themselves.”
Mr Lawson said the chamber was not a government institution; it sought to promote innovation, best practice and entrepreneurship.
John Peters, the chief director at the province’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism, urged the entrepreneurs to be disciplined and work hard and remain committed to their communities once they had achieved success.
Financial literacy and record keeping and knowing how to pitch for finance were all vital, he said.
Luvuyo Rani, the founder of the Silulo Foundation, said the relaunch of the chamber’s Khayelitsha chapter would help local entrepreneurs.
“So inspiring listening to the partners and entrepreneurs sharing about their journey … in growing the township economy and the ecosystem,” he said.
He too acknowledged the threat posed by the extortion gangs, saying it, along with load shedding, was one of many obstacles faced by businesses.
“People should work with partners and trust the power of social capital. As Silulo Foundation, we encourage entrepreneurs to join the chamber. They need to use that opportunity to network and grow.”
