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As part of the Informal and Micro Enterprise Development Programme (IMEDP), Deputy Minister for Small Business Development Dipuo Peters and handed over equipment to 63 small businesses owned by women, youth and people with disabilities at Phokwane Local Municipality.
The programme supports small businesses operating in townships and rural areas of South Africa. This initiative is a nationwide trajectory striving to accelerate the growth of informal and micro enterprises by improving their competitiveness and sustainability to become formal businesses in the mainstream economy.
The enthusiastic Peters said, “as the government, we are committed to an inclusive economy, responsive to the needs of rural and township businesses with a special focus on women and young people in our society as well as informal traders. It is our view as the Department of Small Business Development that through this support in the form of machinery and equipment, we will see greater efficiency and jobs being created by the supported enterprises,” explains Deputy Minister Peters.
The Deputy Minister was accompanied by Northern Cape MEC of Youth, Women, Persons with disabilities, Communications and e-government Venus Blennis, Phokwane municipality mayor, Cllr Tebogo Afrika, District municipality Speaker Cllr Keamogetse Mothibi, councilors and municipal officials.
The equipment included a deep freezer, gas stoves, salon equipment, printers, cellphones, laptop, chaffing dishes, generators and compressors.
Peters pleaded with the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment because the department with do an audit after a year to check on the availability and functionality of the equipment.
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