Date: 2025-10-30 12:47:11

Major Investments To Upgrade Informal Trade Infrastructure

ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAJOR INVESTMENTS TO UPGRADE INFORMAL TRADE INFRASTRUCTURE

A total of R370 million will be invested over the next three years to upgrade infrastructure in the informal trade sector and provide skills development opportunities for traders.

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba made this groundbreaking announcement at the Local Economic Development (LED) Summit, held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on 28 and 29 October.

The event brought together businesses, academia, informal traders, traditional leaders, and other key stakeholders from government and civil society.

The Summit aimed to align municipal, provincial, and national economic strategies, reduce red tape, and create an enabling environment for business growth, innovation, and investment.

The LED approach seeks to empower communities, strengthen local value chains, and promote collaboration among local enterprises, cooperatives, large businesses, academia, and government.

Many localities across eThekwini remain excluded from the mainstream economy due to structural inequalities, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance, skills shortages, and weak institutional support.

These challenges perpetuate unemployment, underdevelopment, and poverty.

Mayor Xaba reaffirmed the City’s commitment to positioning LED as a central pillar of developmental local government.

“That is why we are here today to put service delivery, infrastructure renewal, business growth, skills development, job creation, and community engagement firmly at the centre of our LED agenda,” said Mayor Xaba.

He emphasised that the Summit aligns with the City’s broader efforts to drive inclusive growth, stimulate investment, support Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), and foster enterprise development.

“We are here to engage in open dialogue, encourage active participation, solve problems collaboratively, and secure real commitments that lead to tangible, measurable outcomes for our communities and local businesses,” added Mayor Xaba.

EThekwini City Manager Musa Mbhele highlighted that the City’s development agenda, guided by the Integrated Development Plan and the District Development Model One Plan, is rooted in inclusive growth.

“The eThekwini Municipality Informal Economy Policy recognises that informal traders, small businesses, and community enterprises are central to our economy. Informal traders are not on the sidelines; they are the backbone of livelihoods in this City,” said Mbhele.

Economic Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Thembo Ntuli reiterated the City’s dedication to supporting SMMEs and cooperatives, describing them as vital to inclusive growth.

“These are the heart of our economy and key drivers of inclusive growth. We are strengthening local procurement, access to finance, and business mentorship. At the same time, we are investing in skills development in partnership with universities, training institutions, and the private sector to prepare our youth for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Councillor Ntuli.

ENDS

Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate.