Hawkers from the Alfred Nzo District Municipality will now be able to sell their products using speed points to access payments.
They received them from the portfolio head for planning and economic development (PED), Councillor Nathi Nqoko, from the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, who handed over 20 speed- points and smartphones to local hawkers from Phakade Junction, as part of supporting local small, medium and micro-sized enterprise (SMMEs) in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality (ANDM).
Nqoko said this initiative of developing hawkers is informed by the fact that Alfred Nzo is a rural district in nature with high levels of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.
“The programme was instructed to support local SMMEs with access to funding, skills development and formalising their business.
“PED has identified a gap in the market for hawkers operating at nodal points within the district, at Phuthi Junction, Phakade Junction and Magusheni Junction,” he said.
He added that hawkers operating at these nodal points often made sales on products such as fruit, vegetables and roof thatching grass.
Nqoko confirmed that PED was supporting them by ensuring that each operator was registered as a hawker or as an SMME, had an active bank account and had a speed point and a smart phone in order to operate the business. “The aim of the municipality is to empower small medium enterprises with resources and knowledge to achieve economic growth in ANDM,”
Among supporting stakeholders present were the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the SEDA Alfred Nzo Agro Manufacturing Incubator (SANAMI) and the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT). Each of them presented brief information about available special grants and opportunities that could benefit the local SMMEs in growing their businesses during COVID-19.
Speaking on behalf of the hawkers, Nolundi Gebe, who sells roof thatching grass at Phakade Junction, thanked the KSD municipality for empowering local hawkers, especially women.
“We have raised our children and educated them through selling this grass, with no one recognising our struggles and suffering. We are grateful to be assisted by you,” said Gebe.
.
