The Department of Small Business Development together with King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality handed over tools and equipment to 38 informal business owners of Coffee Bay and Mqanduli as part of the Informal and Micro Enterprise Development Programme (IMEDP).
The programme aims to uplift business owners in the informal sector by providing them with targeted skills development and training, as well as business tools and equipment to assist them to be sustainable and competitive. The handover took place on 21 August 2022 at Mqanduli Multi-Purpose Centre. KSD Executive Mayor, Cllr Nyaniso Nelani attended the handover and was accompanied by MMC for Rural Economic Development, Cllr Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo.
The beneficiaries received a variety of tools and equipment such as cooking stoves, laptops, printers, sewing machines, grass cutters, generators, pots, fridges, etc. These are anticipated to improve and expand the enterprises of the beneficiaries. After receiving their equipment, beneficiaries expressed their gratitude and pledged to take good care of it.
More than 300 KSD (Mthatha and Mqanduli) informal traders that have already benefitted from this small business supporting programme.
The basic requirements to qualify for the support is that the entrepreneur must be a South African and have a black owned informal and micro enterprise and the business must have been trading at least three months, must produce a certified South African Identity Document for both the owner and employees. The applicants must further provide proof of banking, should they be using a stockvel proof thereof is also required.
Moreover, IMEDP does not include immovable properties such as land and buildings. Operational expenses including salaries, taxes paid to the municipality, electricity, and water bills are also not included in the programme.
