By Mzukona Mantshontsho
In a visibly welcome move by residents, business owners and prospective business owners, over a 100 residents heeded the call by Acting ANC Ward 100 Councillor Patrick Maisha, to attend the Gauteng Department of Economic Development’s Road Show yesterday at the Multi-Purpose Hall.
As host and Programme Director at the road show Maisha said: “Our businesses in Cosmo City should comply with all the by-laws in the area and all legislative corporate governance procedures required by law. Our businesses should be sustainable and should give back to the community to improve the lives of the less priviledged and marginalised,” he said.
Kokela Silimela from the Gauteng Department of Economic Development outlined the impact and state of business in Gauteng as a province to the bigger picture of the South African Economy. “The City of Johannesburg is ranked third in the African continent in terms of a City with opportunities after Cairo in Egypt at second place and Nairobi in Kenya at the first position. We are here to outline the strategy of the department with regards to small and medium businesses in the 7 regions in the Gauteng province. You are all welcome at the department with all your business concerns and challenges, we will assist where we can and or direct to those agencies that can help,” she said.
The Cosmo City Development is the first public private partnership worth R3.5billion between the City of Johannesburg, Basil Read, Codevco as well as the community in South Africa. Cosmo City emerged out of an urgent need to provide accommodation for the informal settlers of Zeverfontein and Riverbend who had been illegally occupying privately owned land 25 kilometres North West of the Johannesburg Central Business District. Cosmo City continues to grow as a place of choice and as a community. Recent developments and job opportunities in Cosmo City have created an influx into the area, which cannot be avoided.
We live in a country where the latest unemployment statistics from Statistics South Africa suggest that the unemployment rate is at a staggering 8.3 million South Africans. This figure was reduced by the increase in informal businesses in our communities. With two thirds of the population in South Africa being the youth, the youth is mostly affected by unemployment.
South Africa’s skills shortages are widely regarded as a key factor preventing the achievement of targeted growth rates. There is some dispute as to the nature and extent of these shortages, given that the country also has a large pool of unemployed graduates.
Former City of Johannesburg (COJ) Executive Mayor Amos Masondo on Wednesday 11 August 2010 launched the Jozi Skills Hub (JSH) to address the issue of scarce skills with an injection of a R5 million grant. The COJ made a pledge to create job opportunities available in the technical skills to bridge the enormous backlog in technical skills, particularly artisanal skills.
The National Development Plan of South Africa has a target of creating 11 million jobs by 2030. The government is hoping that these 11 million jobs will be as a result of the promotion and fostering of a culture of entrepreneurship in young people in our communities. It is up to all the young people and learners in our schools in Cosmo City to find the gaps and projects that will create the 11 million jobs by 2030, when they will be adults. All the young people in Cosmo City have the task to make Cosmo City be a great place to stay, and a place to prosper in business and as individual law abiding citizens of our community and the country. Young people in Cosmo City have to make The National Development Plan of South Africa happen!
Leon Pillay from Nedbank invited all business owners to make use of business mentorship programmes that can be accessed by all in need. Constance Matonyane spoke of the business and training opportunities at the National Housing and Registry Council in the province. Ali Sithole introduced the youth platform that the Department of Economic Development has to improve the lives of young people who are the future.
Peter Koitsioe outlined the importance and the benefits of belonging to the Jozi SME Hub at the Johannesburg CBD. Mpho Ngwenya from the Gauteng Tourism division emphasized the importance of tourism and the job opportunities available to curb unemployment.
Interaction between the business agencies present and the business owners was encouraged and all present agreed that it was important for Cosmo City business owners to form an organised unit and fully functional business forum so as to make use of information, opportunities, events and exhibitions that would encourage collaborations and growth in businesses within the community. The road show proved to be a success and more were encouraged.
Acting ANC Ward 100 Councillor Patrick Maisha called on all residents of the community to attend a public meeting on Saturday 12 March 2016 at 10am.
The Cosmo City 10 year celebrations will now be held on Saturday 19 March 2016 at the Cosmo City Multi-Purpose Hall.
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