Pretoria - The Gauteng Provincial Government will commission a baseline study on the township economy to understand its size, spread and strength as well as innovative ways of measuring its social and economic importance.
According to the declaration issued at the end of the Gauteng Township Economy Revitalisation Summit, held this week, government will work with research institutions to build a knowledge base about the township economy and develop methodologies for assessing the social and economic impact of township enterprises.
Other commitments made by the summit included working towards branding, quality standards for a township enterprise and promoting awards events for township businesses.
The Gauteng Provincial Government held a one-day Summit on Township Economic Revitalisation at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Tuesday. The purpose of the summit was to afford local entrepreneurs, SMMEs and cooperatives an opportunity to contribute towards the Township Economic Revitalisation Strategy.
The township economy includes the taxi industry, bakeries, spaza shops, shebeens, dress makers, auto body repairs and mechanics.
Delegates who attended the summit called for government to develop a detailed programme through the economic cluster to oversee the implementation of the Township Economic Revitalisation Strategy.
One of the resolutions that arose from the summit was that the Gauteng government should establish a dedicated capacity for the local economy within the provincial Department of Economic Development.
Delegates also called for a high-level inter-government working group to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Township Economic Revitalisation Strategy.
“The task to revitalise and transform our township economies will not be an easy one but our unity of purpose and collective effort will make it achievable,” reads the declaration issued at the end of the summit.
Delegates agreed that commitments and decisions made at the summit required close monitoring to ensure that they are implemented.
Other resolutions that were taken at the summit include:
- Regulating foreign-based nationals enterprises, especially the spaza shop sector;
- Formalising township enterprises through education campaigns on the benefit of formality;
- Government addressing the concerns of taxi operators over licensing, permit and registrations and
- Reviewing the Preferential Procurement Policy to support township enterprises and the Gauteng Provincial Government’s 10-Point Pillar Programme.
Delegates were committed to ensuring that by 2030, the township economy should contribute at least 30% of the Gauteng GDP. – SAnews.gov.za
