Statement by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth
Supporting the healthy development of our small businesses is absolutely critical to Cape Town’s economic growth. Thus, it gives me great pleasure to share that 1 630 enquiries from existing and aspiring business owners were received and resolved by the City’s Business Hub within the first six months of this year.
Moreover, every one of these was concluded within just two working days.
Small businesses are the engine room of innovation, creativity, and job opportunities and as such need optimum conditions for their development.
I'm quite proud to see that the Hub is a tangible example of the kind of support needed. It is a one-stop service for businesses to easily access information regarding processes and funding, as well as connect them to a series of various training sessions.
Of the queries received, 25% of them related to aspects of enterprise development including how to start or register a business, business planning, and other regulatory information relating to the SA Revenue Service and similar such organisations.
Nearly 250 enquiries were made during one of six activations when our Mobile Business Hub went on the road to Durbanville, Belhar, Khayelitsha, Lotus River, Atlantis, and during the Department of Small Business Development's roadshow. Taking the City's helpdesk into communities means that entrepreneurs are assisted where they are.
The Hub has also helped thousands of entrepreneurs to access free workshops on matters including costing and pricing, social media marketing, and tendering.
The accessibility and turn-around time of this helpdesk is one of the reasons why Cape Town has gained a reputation as Africa's start-up capital. According to the latest Global Financial Centres Index, the Mother City has outpaced several cities across the continent to home in on the crown for Africa's top financial centre.
My mission is to get us to the number 1 ranking on that index. More importantly, it is gratifying to see feedback from entrepreneurs who have engaged with the Hub. In their responses, they say that the information received was informative or that the Hub staff went out of their way to research a particular issue. Others have said that they have already put their training into action.
I remain committed to continuously finding ways to make life easier for businesses, giving them the freedom to innovate, develop, and employ more people.
To see when the Mobile Hub will be in your area and to sign up for one of the development programmes, visit https://www.investcapetown.com/news-events/business-events/.
Source: City Of Cape Town