Informal trade and micro-enterprise often serve as the backbone of household survival in Alexandra, where job scarcity remains rife. Women who run small businesses often shoulder the dual burden of generating income and sustaining their households.

Read more: Alex youth join Services SETA for micro-enterprise development

The recent Democratic Alliance (DA) led women in small businesses empowerment session, at the Alex Safe Hub, sought to give such women the recognition and support they need to either start or grow their businesses. The gathering brought together a mix of township businesswomen, local councillors, and government stakeholders to confront the structural barriers that stifle growth in Alexandra’s informal economy. The event shared crucial insights from access, finance, and market visibility, to regulatory red tape.

Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Jane Sithole delivered a sobering address, grounding her remarks in the lived realities of women in low-income communities. She highlighted that women are often the primary breadwinners, juggling business responsibilities with extended caregiving roles.

She noted that they are combatted with multiple challenges, including the rising cost of living. These, as she explained, makes it even more important that women should start businesses, but, due to preconceived challenges around access to funding and markets, Sithole said some women tend to undermine their business ideas. “When you have an idea, sometimes you undermine and shelve it, when you could have started [a business] and applied at the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEDFA).”

Also read: SMME Summit empowers entrepreneurs in Alexandra

The agency provides access to markets, financial instruments, and capacity-building programmes, designed to move micro-enterprises toward formalisation and growth.

She emphasised that some ideas, when turned into businesses, have the potential to solve society’s pressing challenges. “People are ready to bring solutions to the market, and solve existing problems.”

Councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, who is also a businesswoman, underscored the ripple effect of women’s success, noting how one woman’s progress often uplifts another, and ultimately strengthens entire families. Speaking at the empowerment session, she outlined areas where women need support. These included affordable loans, targeted skills development, and practical training.

She stressed the importance of gaining foundational business skills, such as bookkeeping, which remain out of reach for many informal traders. The most pressing concern she noted, is the lack of safe and dignified trading spaces, an issue that resonates deeply with Alexandra’s small business owners.

Drawing comparisons between township enterprises and more established business ecosystems, Kayser-Echeozonjoku pointed out that collaboration as the missing link. “In other areas, people buy in bulk and share resources. We need to learn from that.”

Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!