The Tshwane Economic Development Agency (Teda) is calling on SMMEs to get in touch to benefit from various programmes it and the metro offer to small and medium businesses. Teda board chairperson Gugu Malaza told Vutivi News that one of the things the agency did was help SMMEs access markets outside the country. Also, there was the Economic Development Unit in the City of Tshwane that focused on SMMEs.

“If an SMME approaches us for assistance, we link them up with that unit, which has focused programmes for SMMEs,” she said. The state-owned company’s mandate includes promoting and facilitating investments in the metro, developing the capacity of emerging exporters to make them export-ready, and catalysing infrastructure-led growth and revitalising nodal economies.

Malaza said that while Teda did work in the SMME sector, it also helped create an environment where big businesses could invest in places like townships. Malaza is a firm believer that the growth of the township economy is not only in the hands of SMMEs.