With fishing not always being a reliable source of income for the residents of Struis Bay in Cape Agulhas municipality, Mayor Paul Swart saw an opportunity to assist the community to access alternative economic opportunities.
Some residents were already selling rooikrans braai wood, however, the wood was being prepared using an ordinary handsaw, which took them a long time.
Mayor Swart came up with the idea of buying chainsaws and making them available to the wood sellers. Three saws were given to three potential entrepreneurs in November 2018 and within the span of one month one entrepreneur was able to buy his second chainsaw from the profits he made.
In January 2019, a truck from the City of Cape Town picked up the first 40 000 pieces of timber from Struisbaai North. Hennie Smith, one of the contractors, was able to employ a team of five people to help with his project.
Mayor Swart believes that every resident deserves a chance to be employed and with this initiative Cape Agulhas municipality was able to assist residents to empower themselves.
Alternative employment for residents in Struis Bay
