An informal traders and micro enterprises development training session, organised by the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (WRSETA), saw more than 90 informal traders from the Mnquma Local Municipality benefit from training, which was aimed at helping them to grow their businesses and to increase their turnover.
The hawkers, who are among the contributors to the municipality’s economic growth, were trained in marketing and customer care, as well as hygiene and food safety regulations.
WRSETA organised the training session with Shumani Trading and HR Solutions.
The participants were identified through Mnquma Local Municipality’s Local Economic Development and Planning Unit and came from Ngqamakwe, Butterworth and Centane.
Informal trader and training beneficiary Nonyameko ‘MamTshawe’ Gaca (56), from Ngqamakwe, praised the content of the training as eye-opening.
“The training gave me new ideas to grow my business and the importance of diversifying my business offerings.
“From what I learned from the training, I have decided to buy my stock in bulk from wholesalers in East London, where I will get them at a cheaper price.
“This will mean more turnover from my business compared to buying from local supermarkets at a higher price,” she said.
She further called on the municipality to ensure that similar training is made available frequently to informal traders, to enable those who did not make it to the recent training to benefit.
Another beneficiary, Sonwabile Mazinyo, who sells pork in Centane, said that he had come back with valuable information from the training on various business management aspects, such as financial management, compliance aspects of the business and the importance of creating a separate bank account for his business.
“As Mnquma Local Municipality, we provide informal traders with modern lockable stalls where they are able to trade, store their goods safely and shelter themselves away from the elements of inclement weather,” said municipal spokesman Loyiso Mpalantshane.
“The municipality has identified informal traders as being among our strategic partners in our local economic development plan and we support their empowerment,” Mpalantshane added.
“They play a very important role in the market because they are affordable, easy to access and provide fresh produce to customers daily,”
Other stakeholders who held exhibitions and provided financial guidance during the event included the South African Revenue Service, the National Youth Development Agency and various banks.
