The City of Cape Town says many businesses in the metro are on the brink of collapse. This after losing trading hours every night due to the curfew.
Mayoral Committee member for Economic Opportunities James Vos says he’s inundated with calls and correspondence from desperate businesses in hospitality, manufacturing, retail and SMMEs.
Vos has written to Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma asking her to extend the hours of the curfew.
The usually bustling Camps Bay is eerily quiet for a Saturday. Losing trading hours every night has pushed many businesses to the brink, with many not being able to retain customers, pay bills, or keep staff employed.
Ocean Blue’s Mike Miller says, “It is a struggle because people want to come out in the evening. So, it’s been very tough.”
A Chef at Hard Rock Cafe, Eddie Adams says, “Business has been very quiet. It’s been very bad so far with all the curfews because we are not getting all the customers that we used to get before.”
City of Cape Town calls for reduced hours of curfew:
Cafe Caprice’s Tinky Mbambisa adds, “We need the government to please bear with us and just maybe release the alcohol ban. We cannot survive for another month if this is going to carry on like this.”
The City of Cape Town has now made a plea to the government to extend the curfew in a bid to save businesses.
The Mayoral Committee member for Economic Opportunities, James Vos, says, “We don’t make this request lightly. But in a bid to save what’s left of the economy and we are confident, by changing the curfew on the strict implementation of the health and safety measures, we will be able to give these sectors the lifeline they need to stay open and save jobs.”
The Cape Chamber of Commerce has also expressed their concern due to having to close their doors at 8pm.
Cape Chamber of Commerce’s Janine Myburgh says, “We don’t make this decision willy-nilly, but we do know the serious effect that the curfew has on the economy of the Western Cape. So, we do support the extension of the curfew provided that the protocols are adhered to strictly.”
While the full extent of the various lockdowns on business closures and job losses is yet to be established, thousands of businesses and jobs have potentially been lost or are at risk.
Early indications are that the infection rate in the Western Cape is stabilising and, saving lives as well as livelihoods continue to be a priority.
