The Tshwane Metro has announced its intention to extend workshops and training services to Marabastad traders while ramping up inspection efforts.

This decision comes after what the city claims to be a remarkable turnaround in business compliance within the Marabastad business zone.

According to the metro, Marabastad has become a powerful symbol of what can be achieved when there is collaboration in pursuit of shared prosperity.

Spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said that the city’s ‘balanced and people-centred approach’ has restored order, safety and compliance while ‘simultaneously unlocking new economic potential for traders and the surrounding community’.

“Contrary to perceptions in some quarters, the city’s approach to addressing non-compliance with food safety and trading regulations has never been punitive in nature.

“Rather, it has been corrective and developmental, focused on building a culture of lawful, sustainable and responsible trading.

“This philosophy underpins the city’s vision to create a vibrant, inclusive and competitive trading environment where all business owners can thrive under clear and fair regulatory conditions,” Mashigo said.

He insisted that food and safety regulation compliance is integral to economic growth and should not be viewed as a measure that inconveniences traders and residents.

Mashigo stated that the metro’s regulatory framework ensures that all traders, whether formal or informal, operate under conditions that promote fairness, protect consumers and preserve the integrity of Tshwane’s growing economy.

He added that businesses that comply with food safety standards, hygiene requirements and permit regulations are now experiencing greater market stability and improved customer confidence.

“This renewed business confidence is helping to reposition Marabastad as one of the capital’s most vibrant commercial nodes.

“The area has evolved from being a site of frequent by-law breaches into a regulated and prosperous marketplace that balances economic opportunity with public welfare.

“The city’s interventions are designed not to suppress informal enterprise but to nurture it, ensuring that growth happens within a framework of safety, compliance and long-term sustainability.

“This transformation has significant developmental implications. When traders comply, the economy grows, and when the city provides fair oversight, jobs are protected.

“The City of Tshwane’s mandate is to create an enabling environment where enterprise and regulation reinforce each other, not where they exist in opposition. Marabastad demonstrates that developmental enforcement works,” Mashigo said.

To support this goal, the city has intensified its outreach and education efforts.

Regular inspections are complemented by workshops and training programmes designed to improve understanding of municipal by-laws, health standards and business management practices.

Trader associations are said to have been key partners in this journey, helping to translate policy into practice and encouraging self-regulation among their members.

As a result, compliant traders in Marabastad have been issued with official trading certificates, a visible affirmation of their lawful standing and commitment to responsible entrepreneurship.

Mashigo said these certifications do more than legitimise operations; they build trust between traders, consumers and the city, ensuring that economic benefits flow equitably through the community.

“The Marabastad initiative serves as a blueprint for replication across Tshwane – a model where regulation protects livelihoods, where compliance builds credibility and where local economies grow from the ground up.

“It shows that with shared accountability, the city can formalise success without losing the spirit of entrepreneurship.
Mashigo said the metro “remains steadfast in its mission to strengthen business ethics, safeguard consumer interests and promote economic inclusion”.

“The progress in Marabastad stands as a celebration of collaboration, proof that when government and traders walk hand in hand, compliance becomes a pathway to prosperity – not a barrier to it.

“The city extends its appreciation to all stakeholders who have embraced this new chapter of responsible and resilient trading,” Mashigo concluded.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok