Local newsNews

Government offers relief aid to small businesses after KZN unrest

The closing date for applications is September 12.

IN a bid to help small businesses rebuild after the recent KZN unrest, the eThekwini Municipality  have opened applications for the Spaza Relief Fund.

The closing date for applications is September 12.

In a statement on the eThekwini Municipality website, the municipality said they are running this initiative in partnership with cell service providers, MTN, to offer financial support to shop owners who want to become mobile money (MoMo) agents.

Also read: Swimming pools remain closed to the public, says city

“Each beneficiary will receive a total of R7 000 which includes R 5 000 to restock and R2 000 starting capital for the electronic wallet, MoMo. With the MoMo app, merchants can sell airtime and earn a commission,” read the statement.

Head of the City’s Business Support, Tourism, Markets, and Agri-Business Unit,  Thulani Nzama thanked MTN for heeding government’s call to embrace public-private partnerships.

“This partnership will go a long way to assist spaza shop owners get back on their feet as they are key drivers of local economies,” he said.

Also read: Tourism industry takes R280m knock after KZN unrest

MTN SA Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Motsa said: “We are assisting spaza shops to restock and start doing business again. They help to drive local economies as they create jobs and are often hubs of business activities. They bring basic foods and services directly to communities.  MoMo will also allow communities to be digitally connected as they can do many transactions via the app.”

Applicants must email their motivation letter to Spazarelief.za@mtn.com or hand-deliver it to the One-Stop Centre located at Mystrals at the Durban Exhibition Centre. The letter must be accompanied by the applicant’s South African ID, proof of residence, and a picture of the spaza shop.

* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

 
 
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535. You can also join the conversation on FacebookTwitter and Instagram. PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
You can read the full story on our App. Download it here.

Related Articles

Back to top button