Poortje SMMEs urged to register their businesses

25 May 2017

 

Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in Poortje, south of Johannesburg, were this week urged to register their businesses on the City of Johannesburg’s supplier database as one of the ways to access business opportunities.

 

Local youths packed the Poortje Skills Centre, where City officials were hosting a workshop to empower the SMMEs so they could uplift themselves, contribute to the City’s 5% economic growth target and alleviate poverty and unemployment.

The workshop was in response to complaints raised by the community during an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) meeting in April.

The City’s Assistant Director of Co-operatives Development, Malusi Mbusi, said many SMMEs had missed out on business opportunities because they had not been registered on the database.

“During the recent IDP session, community members in this area complained that many local projects were awarded to external service providers. The reason is that many of you have co-operatives that are not registered with the City. Without that registration we cannot unfortunately recognise you,” Mbusi said.

He said even informal traders were required to comply with the City’s policies and applicable by-laws. “Depending on the nature of your trade, everything must be done in accordance with all regulations stipulated by the City.

“This can vary from trading on the roadside or near taxi ranks to designated markets. Everything has to be in line with permits issued to our traders. Every policy is in place to ensure the by-laws of the City are effective,” Mbusi said.  

However, resident Lucky Simelane said he had for many years been trying to secure projects in the City through his co-operative but in vain. “I’ve received all the training required. I’ve even acquired a business permit from the authorities but I’m yet to be awarded a project.

“We also need to know what the link is between the City and financial institutions because most of the time you find that financing stands between us and projects.”

Community Development Department’s Ali Sithole said: “Now that we have all the laws and policies in place we need to find a way that we can exploit them to the benefit of people who were previously disadvantaged by driving economic development in all groups of society.”