The City of Cape Town’s draft 2022/23 R713 million budget earmarked for growing the local economy plots a roadmap for bolstering Cape Town’s small businesses and industries, and increasing Capetonians’ access to opportunities. This is a budget that demonstrates our deep desire to get the basics right and build on our economic manifesto.

• Highlighted is the expansion and improvement of the e-permitting system for those working in the informal sector. The system will expand on our ability to support and engage the sector through smarter, interactive e-applications.

• I’m also exceptionally proud to have motivated for a capital expenditure pipeline of projects over the next three years to provide smart, dignified and accessible trading spaces with infrastructure such as Wi-Fi to make life easier for traders and the consumers they interact with.

• We will continue to drive workforce development through programmes such as Jobs Connect and the Cape Skills and Employment Accelerator. In less than a year, these two projects have engaged more than 40 000 Capetonians.

• Our goal to provide continued and greater backing to our small businesses and start-ups – the engine room of jobs and innovation will take shape under the banner of enterprise development programmes through partners such as Productivity SA and the South African Renewable Energy Incubator and via City initiatives like The Business Hub.

• I believe that this draft budget speaks to our aim to make life easier for businesses while helping to unlock the jobs that so many across Cape Town need. This is a budget that will give rise to an economy of hope and confidence. Now is the time to realise the full potential of communities across our great city and, together, create our better tomorrow.

Source: City Of Cape Town