Business equipment handed over to Informal Traders

BRITS – The Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Ms. Dipuo Peters, today, Monday, 13 May 2024 handed tools and equipment to informal traders and SMMEs in Madibeng during the occasion held at the Brits Town Hall. The beneficiaries are part of the Informal and Micro Enterprise Development Programme (IMEDP) an instrument of National Informal Business Upliftment Strategy(NIBUS) which aims to uplift informal traders and SMMES.

The Deputy Minister was welcomed by Executive Mayor Cllr. Douglas Maimane who embraced the programme and thanked the Deputy Minister and all stakeholders involved for their role in enhancing service delivery in the field of small business development through a programme of this nature.

A total of 131 beneficiaries from within Madibeng received business equipment/tools from the department following successful applications process conducted by the local SEDA office and the Municipality’s Local Economic Development (LED). The equipment’s and tools included industrial sewing machines, brick making machines, freezers, gas stoves, catering equipment’s, industrial baking ovens, generators, laptops, printers among others..

Addressing the beneficiaries, Deputy Minister Peters applauded them for taking efforts and made applications. She further said, “The national Informal Business Upliftment Strategy (NIBUS) was released in 2014 and it seeks to uplift informal businesses within the informal economy and render support to local chambers, local business associations, municipalities and Local Economic Development offices to deliver and access to upliftment programmes.”.

The Deputy Minister further encouraged the informal traders to where possible collaborate with one another in growing their businesses. The Deputy Minister and Executive Mayor were joined by the MMC for Public Safety, Fleet and Facility Management, Cllr Feni Motepe, the MMC for Infrastructure and Technical Services, Cllr. Moses Molokeoa, SEDA Provincial Manager, Mr. Sabelo Ntshangase and the Madibeng Director for Local Economic Development, Ms. Seithati Monyeki.