Steady progress is being made as more informal traders from various areas across the city have received CPT+U COVID-19 Informal Traders’ Toolkits over the first two activation phases.
This includes informal traders from some of the City’s most vulnerable hotspot areas, such as Dunoon, Gatesville, Bellville, Mitchells Plain, Philippi, as well as Langa, Imizamo Yethu, Strand, Kuils River and Khayelitsha, where there is also a high dependency on income generated from informal trading activities.
Last week, during the second activation phase, informal traders from Atlantis, Mamre, Kraaifontein, Pelican Park, Eagle Park, Lavender Hill and Grassy Park, Nyanga, Gugulethu among others, also received their toolkits.
Over the coming weeks, the City continues to contact more informal traders via SMS and telephone calls, who are registered with the City’s database, have COVID-19 permits and concession letters, to offer them the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 Informal Traders’ Toolkit.
It is important to note that there are a limited number of toolkits available so these will be issued on a first-come-first-served basis.
These toolkits form part of the City’s efforts to support the sector by aiming to help traders and their customers to do business in a safe environment, compliant with COVID-19 protocols.
‘The CPT+U COVID-19 Informal Traders’ Toolkits campaign was launched two weeks ago. The City of Cape Town is offering this toolkit to the informal sector to help them take the necessary precautions to reopen safely and resume trading as required by the lockdown regulations. We are committed to doing all we can to support residents, traders and small business owners in providing some reassurance and comfort during the pandemic. This toolkit is one of the many initiatives we have rolled out to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on our residents,’ said Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
Each toolkit, which is free of charge to informal traders, contains the following items:
- Three litres of hand sanitiser
- A social-distancing mat to remind customers to keep 1,5m from traders
- Two cloth masks
- A warm winter beanie
- A toolkit bag
- Information on how to operate safely during the pandemic
‘We are very pleased to see the positive response with more than 4000 toolkits being gifted to informal traders so they can continue to trade and earn a living during the pandemic, while adhering to COVID-19 protocols. This initiative is testament to the City’s support in action for this vital sector during this very challenging time. We would also like to urge informal traders to utilise the toolkits at their stalls in order to protect themselves, their clients as well as their communities at large.
‘As this initiative continues to roll out, we would like to remind informal traders who are registered on our database, have COVID-19 permits and concession letters, to ensure their contact details on the City’s records are up-to-date,’ said Alderman Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management.
The City’s Enterprise and Investment Department, who initiated the SMMEs Toolkit initiative, is now working with Urban Management on this project.
‘We are very excited that informal traders are receiving COVID-19 toolkits, which include items that are specific to their needs. Through this initiative, the City is trying to lighten the load on these businesses, who are paying out of their own pockets to comply with COVID-19 measures. There is no other option if we are going to reduce the spread of this virus and keep our economy open,’ said Alderman James Vos, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management.
What do informal traders need to know about the process?
Informal traders who are registered with the City’s informal trading database, have COVID-19 permits and concession letters, will be contacted by the City either via SMS or telephonically and will need to indicate by responding to the message if they are interested in the offer or advise the officials who will be calling them accordingly.
Thereafter, more details, including the collection of the toolkits, will be communicated directly to qualifying informal traders as the process continues.
For more information and/or queries regarding the toolkits, please call 021 400 3131 (select option 6 for informal trading) or email informal.trading@capetown.gov.za or Business.support@capetown.go.za.
For more information about how to apply for an informal trading permit, please visit this link.