GALLERY: Local businesses can apply for government funding

The City of Ekurhuleni, with the National Department of Small Business Development (NDSBD), Seda and Sefa, held a meeting to present funding opportunities to SMMEs on December 2 at the Vosloorus Civic Centre.

The purpose of the session was to help with funding applications, renewal of business licences and trading permit processes.

The funding will be distributed to eight sectors, including spaza shops, restaurants or formal shisanyamas, butcheries, catering, liquor stores, beauty parlour, accommodation establishments and wholesale and retail stores.

According to the executive director of NDSBD Mmatshepo Rasebopye, the scheme will fund spaza owners with R7 000, which will be divided into a non-repayable fund of R3 500 and a supplier credit guarantee of R3 500, which can only be used to buy required things like stock.

Funding for confectioneries is a minimum of R10 000, and a maximum of R20 000 for bakeries.

Clothing, leather and textiles industry will get R10 000 that will benefit seamstresses, sewers, garment makers, designers, art designers, knitters, machinist and fabric manufacturers.

Butcheries, shisanyamas, personal care services, fruit and vegetable hawkers will also get R10 000 in funding, while autobody repairers and mechanics will get R15 000.

Rasebopye said SMMEs will also get additional support in terms of business knowledge as the NDSBD will host workshops to educate people with reference to their line of businesses.

“The programme will provide basic bookkeeping and customer service training and access to basic business tools to support them in meeting the occupational health and safety standards, legal compliance and creating a business account,” said Rasebopye.

Sithembiso Garane of the City of Ekurhuleni said the City requires all businesses to have a business licence, trading permit and to be compliant with the law in order to continue trading in the City. He emphasised that no business would operate without complying with the law.

“The City requires that both formal and informal businesses that sell food should be in possession of a licence, in accordance with the Business Act No. 71 of 1991. These permits and business licences are issued by the City’s Department of Economic Development,” said Garane.

Businesswoman Pinkie Mblalose said the session was informative as she did not know most of the business laws.
“My business is non-profitable, especially during the lockdown. I will apply for funding as soon as I get all the required documents because I need the funds to stock in bulk to get reasonable prices,’’ said Mblalose.

Nokuphiwa Ngema, founder of Nokuphiwa Management & Projects, shared the same sentiments, stating that she was happy to be part of the event and is looking forward to the opportunities at hand in terms of growing and expanding her businesses under Seda.

“To be honest, the amount of funding, particularly for my industry, won’t do much but it’s how you strategise as an entrepreneur that determines your survival,” said Ngema.

Among the people who attended the event was EFF MP Patrick Sinane, who had much to say.

“Some of the questions were not answered by the speakers. They only gave people email and contact details for these guests to follow up with people who were supposed to be part of this presentation,” he added.

“The government is providing people with lip service. We need to switch to real issues that affect people. People cannot just be confined to corner shops, they have to be given spaces in complexes. We cannot have all spaces in malls occupied by white business owners. We also want to see black businesses grow in those spaces,” said Sinane.

It is unclear when the funds will be made available, but business owners are advised to register for funding early and avoid late applications.

Rasebopye explained there is a backlog and it will be difficult to indicate the period for funds to be available, but there is no closing date.

“We just want to push as many applications as possible before January 31 so that we can disburse by March 31. To apply, people can visit https://smmesa.gov.za,” said Rasebopye.