The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg, Ennie Makhafola, has pledged support for local businesses and agro-processors, saying that will stimulate economic growth in the City. The MMC was speaking at the Agro-Processors (Access to Market) Show organised by the City’s Social Development, Food Resilience Unit at the Dlamini Multipurpose Centre, Soweto, on Friday, 21 July 2023.
“As the City’s Social Development, we salute you Agro-processors for taking a bold step and continuing to run your small businesses despite the difficult economic situations that we are currently facing in our country. We salute you for all the investment that you have made in yourselves, your communities, your future, and in your children’s future,” said MMC Makhafola.
The purpose of the show was to arm and equip agro-processors with an array of information regarding expectations of retailers and growth potential in new markets so that they
realize commercial returns.
Further emphasizing the shibboleth “local is lekker”, the show saw to it that authenticity was not traded for approval by having stalls from various vendors with organic edibles and
refreshments manufactured, packaged and distributed by the vendors themselves.
The show brought together institutions ranging from Farmers Markets to hotels, BnBs, banks, South West Gauteng TVET college, Buhle Academy, Enoch Trading Export Import, as
well as the Junior MMC for Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture, Tsegofatso Bokaba.
Soweto Shisa Nyama owner Sibusiso Madlala said: “I sell crocodile meat, my hope is for the government to make such accessible to the people as well to assist in creating diversity.”
In her closing remarks, Cllr Makhafola reiterated that “it is essential that even women and girls engage in farming as this is the only way to economic freedom”. She added that “the only
way to attain this is through the expropriation of land, which will help the citizens in the attainment of employment, judging at the high unemployment rate in South Africa”.
The remarks were greeted with huge applause from the guests.
The Food Resilience Unit aims to transform the City’s economy and bring about sustainable development. It is not aiming just at creating projects, but to build lives, dreams and hopes.
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