Khayelitsha entrepreneurs had a chance to promote their businesses, network and learn how to navigate red tape during the Local Economy Symposium at the OR Tambo Indoor Centre last Thursday.
About 150 emerging entrepreneurs attended the event, which was organised by the Site C Business Forum to promote local businesses and encourage investment in Khayelitsha.
Entrepreneurs were given advice on doing business with the City, training, informal trading and access to finance among other things.
Site C Business Forum spokesperson Melikhaya Yalwa said many business owners had the potential to grow their enterprises, but they were left demoralised when they battled to tap into a market.
The symposium wanted to help entrepreneurs navigate government red tape and support those battling a lack of funding and access to markets, he said.
“It’s so sad that many of these big retailers in the township do not accommodate local entrepreneurs to have their products in their shops. These retailers do not even invest in growing local businesses in the township. These big retailers should have an obligation to give back to the communities if they operate through tangible investment,” he said.
“We also feel that many of the policies that the government has implemented do not accommodate small businesses, and we feel that the government has used a blanket approach in designing some of the policies. We urge the government to be flexible in developing these policies.”
Mayoral committee member for economic growth James Vos said there were many support programmes for small and growing businesses funded by the City.
The City of Cape Town Business Hub, he said, had trained thousands of businesses owners, and more than 1500 small, medium and micro enterprises operated in the area, providing services and goods as well as employment.
“From providing training courses to offering guidance on logistical and legislative concerns and bringing people together for networking opportunities like this, we’re giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed,” he said.
For example, the Youth in Business programme administered at the Bandwidth Barn in Khayelitsha had helped hundreds of young entrepreneurs to learn the skills needed to survive and thrive, he said.
Wanga Tshanti, who owns a clothing brand, said the event had come at the right time because he was trying to expand the businesses and get funding.
