The Department of Economic Development is excited to announce the successful launch of the City’s 2nd Opportunity Centre by the Executive Mayor, Cllr Herman at the Roodepoort Civic Centre in Region C on Thursday 28 June 2018.
The Roodepoort OC was given its name by Grade 12 Learner, Mfundo Ndaba, from Hoerskool Roodepoort after it was selected from among many submissions - “Isiqalo”. Mr Ndaba was presented with a cash prize sponsored by Wits University for his achievement and participation in activating small business support within the Region.
Mfundo came up with the name whilst sitting with his Mother one day, with the name Isiqalo loosely translating as “a new beginning”. “Young people will gain a lot from this centre and it will help to kick start their futures thus the term new beginning being appropriate”
Isiqalo OC follows the launch of Khoebo OC located at 88 Marshall Street in March 2018 and is part of a total of 14 centres that the Department plans to open by the end of the 2020/2021 financial year.
A few entrepreneurs who have been receiving assistance at Khoebo OC came to give their accounts of the service they had encountered so far. Onke stated that the people at Khoebo were very friendly and that after searching for a job for close to 5 years he was hopeful in having someone to walk hand in hand with him in starting his business. Ms Maleka said that she left the OC with her self-esteem back and with her entrepreneurial spirit alive again as her business is finally fully compliant.
“We wanted the City to offer more proficient and relevant services to entrepreneurs and decided to relook at the previous SMME Hubs as we realised that they were not providing what business needed. We took the initiative in 2017 and engaged entrepreneurs at a symposium which was how we developed the new model for OC’s across the City” said Cllr Leah Knott – MMC Economic Development.
The City believes that the development and support of SMMEs and entrepreneurs plays a huge role in achieving the 5% economic growth target by 2021 with sustainable SMME’s contributing to a reduction in unemployment.
During his Keynote address at the Isiqalo launch Executive Mayor Mashaba said that these OC’s are key to the City’s economic growth and central to empowering youth in business. Multiple skills programmes will be offered at these centres for free and facilitated by the City’s corporate partners. We are no longer counting people as numbers, we are providing long term support. That is what makes them different from anything the City has seen before!
Partners that we have so far signed up within the OC’s include SARS, CIPS, Innovation Hub, Productivity SA, SEDA, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), ABSA, TUHF, GenAfrica, Discovery, Umastandi and Smart Procurement World.
All OC’s will also include a procurement desk and from the 2018/19 financial year a Job Seekers as well as an Innovation desk, a very first in South Africa. The centre is open to all small businesses and entrepreneurs in Region C.
Media Queries:
Office of the MMC: Cllr Leah Ruth Knott
Stakeholder Manager: Jabulile Buthelezi
Mobile: +27 67 028 9636
Email: JabulileBu@joburg.org.za
