Inclusive growth drive sees hawkers consulted on economic plans
City leaders reaffirmed that hawkers are central to the city’s economy, committing to transform trading conditions through partnerships, investment, and accessible city-owned spaces.
Ahead of the upcoming investment summit in September, MMC for Finance and Deputy Mayor, Eugene Modise, led a group of hawkers on a site tour, visiting buildings in Region 3 (Central and western) that could be turned into trading spaces.
Modise, MMC for Economic Development Sarah Mabotsa, and the Chief Whip of Council Molatelo Samuel Mashola, say that showcasing these properties to hawkers and the business forum demonstrates their commitment to ensuring informal traders are not excluded from the economic plans they have for the metro.
“This was not merely a meeting, but part of a broader vision to reshape the city’s economic landscape through meaningful dialogue and partnership with those who trade, invest, and breathe life into the inner city daily.
“The programme for the day was deliberate and dynamic. We conducted a guided tour of a number of strategic, city-owned buildings in the CBD, assets that the City wato make available for business purposes.
“These facilities represent opportunities not only for commerce, but also for creating shared spaces where enterprise, innovation, and community growth can thrive side by side,” Modise said.
The tour with hawkers through city-owned buildings in the CBD, including the Du Toit Street Building, the City Hall, the Old Fire Station, Kruger Park Flats and the Tshwane Events Centre.
Officials held discussions with the traders, hawkers, and business leaders, who spoke candidly about the challenges they face.
These included navigating licensing processes and by-law compliance, addressing daily operational needs, access to services, and ensuring safety in the city centre.
Modise says the hawkers emphasised their need for structured support from the government that will turn them away from their survivalist approach to trading in the inner-city.
“The city affirmed its recognition of this aspiration and reiterated that the informal sector must not be viewed as marginal, but as an integral part of Tshwane’s economic heartbeat.
“Hawkers are not merely filling the sidewalks with goods; they are building families, paying school fees, sustaining households, and contributing to the rhythm of city life,” Modise said.
The Deputy Mayor underscored that inclusive growth requires more than infrastructure and policy, saying it requires trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment between government and citizens.
The engagement with hawkers was a reminder that development cannot be top-down; it must be participatory and inclusive of the lives affected.
“To empower traders is to acknowledge their humanity and potential, and to transform the city centre into a safe, orderly, and thriving economic hub to extend dignity to both trader and customer alike.
“Tshwane is laying a foundation for stability and long-term prosperity. The city reaffirmed that its economic empowerment agenda is not reserved for big corporations alone, but is equally committed to building resilient, people-driven economies where the smallest of traders can eventually grow into the entrepreneurs of tomorrow,” Modise said.
At next month’s Investment Summit, the metro aims to bring R5-billion worth of investments into the city to stimulate economic growth.
The summit is also in line with the metro’s Tshwane Economic Revitalisation Strategy (TERS), adopted by Council in April this year.
The Showgrounds and Tshwane Fresh Produce Market have been marked as spaces that will be key for the metro’s economic revitalisation.
“Our hawkers are not on the periphery of the economy; they are at its very core.
“By opening city-owned buildings to new business opportunities, by working hand-in-hand with our traders, we are not only revitalising the inner city, but also reaffirming our belief that every business – big or small – has a rightful place in Tshwane’s future economy,” Modise said.
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