City engages with leadership of all informal traders associations under the theme ‘Trading and living amid COVID-19’
09 July 2020
Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management met with the leadership of all informal traders associations today as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to support this industry.
During deliberations with over 20 informal traders associations and 46 representatives, Alderman Twigg emphasised that the City recognised the key role that informal trading plays in poverty alleviation, income generation and entrepreneurial development and, in particular, the positive impact that it has on historically disadvantaged individuals and communities. This recognition is embodied in the City’s Informal Trading Policy and By-Law. The meeting, the first of its kind, was observed under COVID-19 social distancing protocols in the council chambers. Virtual technology was also used.
Alderman Twigg acknowledged that as the City, we are adopting a more developmental approach to the informal trading sector in order to create an environment that is conducive to this sector’s growth, and that such an approach should encourage cooperative partnerships and engagements to bring our collective resources together and enhance the informal economic sector.
‘We met with the leadership of all informal traders associations this morning to better understand their needs and challenges so that we can continue supporting them going forward,’ said Alderman Twigg.
The informal trader leadership raised issues such as:
Problems with regards to illegal informal trading
The need for more visible law enforcement
Greater participation in the process of creating Trading Plans
The meeting today gave the informal traders leadership the opportunity to share matters that are close to their heart to enable the Urban Management Directorate as a whole to better understand and better address the challenges the sector is experiencing.
Traders were also informed of the City’s ongoing efforts to support their industry amid COVID-19, by issuing 10 000 COVID-19 Informal Traders’ Toolkits to those who qualify. This is to ensure that traders and their customers can continue to do business in a safe environment and that they conform to the strict health COVID-19 regulations.
The leadership present at the meeting expressed gratitude for the platform to engage with the City to discuss ‘trading and living amid COVID-19’ and the support offered through the informal trading toolkits.
The City will also look at how to capacitate informal traders associations with skills programmes such as financial management and other soft skills to empower them to better run their businesses.
For more information and/or queries regarding informal trading, please call 021 400 3131 (select option 6 for informal trading) or email informal.trading@capetown.gov.za.
How to apply for an informal trading permit
Unemployed individuals are encouraged to apply for an informal trading permit. South African citizens will need to provide their IDs and foreign nationals will need to provide proof of their legal status in South Africa.
It’s easy to apply for an informal trading permit by completing the online application on the City’s e-Services website. Follow these simple steps:
1. Register for the City of Cape Town’s e-Services
2. Activate the informal trading service on e-Services
3. Apply for a trading bay
For more information about registration, please visit this link.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
