THE Buffalo City Metro, in partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), will provide funding to at least 50 young people interested in starting a spaza shop business in the Buffalo City region this year.
The Metro has developed an ambitious plan which stipulates that by the end of this year, at least 50 spaza shops must be owned by the youth residing in Buffalo City.
Last month, about 100 young business-minded people from across the Buffalo City region were part of a five-day small business management training workshop held at the Cambridge Town Hall.
The training, a joint initiative between the Metro and the NYDA, was for the youth interested in the spaza shop business, including young entrepreneurs who own small businesses and those who need funding for a start-up business.
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said those interested are expected to submit applications for funding.
“The aim is not just to give young people start-up capital without proper business skills. There is funding for about 50 people to start a business, with financial boosts ranging from R1,000 to R250,000. The Metro is calling on locals to take advantage of this opportunity and enrol in these skills development programmes,” said Ngwenya.
The move comes as spaza shop operators across the country have until Friday, February 28, to register their businesses as per President Cyril Ramaphosa’s instructions.
Ngwenya said the Metro has about 1 455 spaza shops on its database, and the number could be higher than 2 000 considering many are unregistered.
“So far, through our clampdown operations, the Metro has closed down over 600 spaza shops that are not complying with regulations and municipal bylaws,” added Ngwenya.
BCM held an intergovernmental multi-stakeholder consultative meeting on compliance and enforcement interventions on Monday, February 10.
BCM General Manager for Environmental Health Services, Luyanda Madikizela, said the workshop’s aim was to bring together key stakeholders from various sectors to discuss, share insights, and collaborate on effective strategies to ensure compliance and enhance enforcement mechanisms in the Metro.
“This year, the focus is mainly on ensuring that all spaza shops operating in the Metro are fully registered,” added Madikizela.
