Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has officially opened the Kwa-Ntozonke Market at Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. More than R11 million has been invested in the development of businesses in this market with a total of 100 entrepreneurs benefitting.
This is part of the shared economic infrastructure programme that the government has embarked on.
Ndabeni-Abrahams says they will also ensure that the businesses are sustainable.
” This building, Kwa-Ntozonke market is an old building established in 1976, then it tells you that, like any other child of 1976 is an adult now you can see there are certain things you can’t survive. So, it was leaking, the infrastructure was bad and this is where we come in to say let’s renovate to make sure it meets the demands of today, for the traders of today. There was no electricity because then they were using manual machines. Today we put in electricity because we are giving them automated machines so that they can produce in large quantities and at a fastest pace. “
Mthatha is home to over millions of residents rallying on Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) and other informal businesses for daily economic activities.
Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams is leading a strong entourage of officials from the pic.twitter.com/NmrdP7bKER
— Department of Small Business Development (@DSBD_SA) April 4, 2024
A beneficiary Phathilizwe Dyokose says they are happy and there will be a great change in their businesses.
” The building was leaking, that made us work in very bad conditions, we are happy now that the government helped us and renovated the building. I want to see this business grow and that can also be done by teaching our children the skills so that they can be independent.”
