Township economic revitalisation prioritised
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development in Ekurhuleni, Clr Bennett Nikani, on Tuesday represented hundreds of township entrepreneurs from the region at the Township Economy Revitalisation Summit.
Last week, Nikani held a consultative summit in Tsakane, with business owners from all corners of Ekurhuleni and then voiced their views and concerns at the provincial gathering, which was hosted by by Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Lebogang Maile.
One of the burning issues that was highlighted at the Ekurhuleni Township Economy Revitalisation Summit is the need for entrepreneurs to have access to resources for production, such as land, to allow them to independently generate their own livelihoods.
Ekurhuleni executive mayor Clr Mondli Gungubele assured the drivers of the township economy that the city was considering various development models that focused on ensuring that previously disadvantaged individuals are the drivers of economic growth through appropriate sectors, like manufacturing.
“This approach has proven to be the most successful in reducing poverty and inequality in countries like Nigeria, where the informal economy is alive,” said Gungubele.
“The focus has to be economic growth through the inclusion of the poor in the economy and building of quality infrastructure in the townships that will radically transform our spatial patterns in the townships.”
Gungubele explained the inherent need for a city like Ekurhuleni to revive some of the industries that were affected by the global economic downturn and that there is an opportunity to build those industries in the townships.
During the summit, the Ekurhuleni committed itself to support both informal traders and entrepreneurs who aspire to grow their small businesses into larger enterprises.
The inputs by entrepreneurs were presented at the provincial summit, where a bottom-up economic strategy to foster economic development and support productive, labour intensive economic activities in townships was discussed and endorsed.
This strategy will guide Gauteng’s township economic development agenda.
Several pillars underpin this strategy, which is aimed at addressing the main challenges faced by township entrepreneurs.
These include access to land, industrial space and economic infrastructure; funding and technical assistance; manufacturing and production as well as market access and competitiveness.
