The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has allocated 30% of its procurement spend towards township-based businesses, as it moved to support and drive the Gauteng Township Economy Revitalisation (TER) Strategy.
Goods and services valued below R500 000 would be acquired by all departments and agencies from township businesses, while purchases over R500 000 needed to include the participation of township suppliers through subcontracting and joint ventures.
The GPG also aimed to extend the benefits of government programme, the Qondisa Ishishini Lakho campaign, launched in October 2015, to township small-, medium-sized and microenterprises.
The Qondisa Ishishini Lakho, which means fix your business, provided immediate assistance, including financial and nonfinancial support and business-related advice, to businesses across Gauteng townships.
“The Qondisa Ishishini Lakho campaign directly responds to challenges outlined by entrepreneurs during the TER Roadshows conducted across 65 Gauteng townships in 2014, pertaining to funding, credit lending and many more,” Gauteng Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Lebogang Maile said.
“Once the process of registering township enterprises across different sectors of our economy is complete; there will be no excuse for any government department or agency to overlook township businesses in procurement processes.”