The City’s Opportunity Centre at the Joburg Market held a successful information-sharing networking session at the Braamfontein Recreation Centre to provide small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) with business acumen. The session was attended by a group of Johannesburg entrepreneurs, various government organisations, and private entities who all interactively tackled challenges faced by local SMMEs.
Attendees were provided with information on the crucial steps to follow to start a business and were advised on how to access funding opportunities.
Akona Bovula, the manager of the Joburg Market Opportunity Centre, said the networking session was held in line with the City’s objective to grow the local economy and create much-needed jobs.
“SMMEs are essential to the City’s economy because they significantly advance the municipality. As a result, we organised this session to assist aspiring entrepreneurs with information to expand their businesses,” said Bovula.
Invited entities and business experts shared insights on the intricacies of establishing a sustainable business and empowered entrepreneurs to make well-informed business decisions.
Boitumelo Legadimana, the Joburg Market Fruit Hall Manager, said the session had been invaluable in enabling entrepreneurs to gain more knowledge and skills on how to use opportunities at their disposal.
“Through this session, we empowered SMMEs by highlighting opportunities available at the Joburg Market and how they can take full advantage of these,” Legadimana said.
Lawrence Seseni, the University of Johannesburg Faculty Advisor in the Department of Business Management, shared insights on the opportunities offered by Enactus to build a successful career in entrepreneurship.
Seseni also encouraged SMMEs to attend similar sessions, as this was a pathway for small businesses to explore opportunities. The session also unpacked aspects such as operational excellence, business idea generation, supply chain management to improve access to the market, and fiscal management.
Thembelihle Ntsobane, a local small business owner, found the session highly empowering and insightful.
“I learned a lot about marketing and online shopping. Being a part of this session reminded me that running a successful business requires creativity and determination. I believe that with the information shared, I will be able to see growth and progress in my business,” said Ntsobane.
She added that the information sharing session helped her connect with an organisation that works in line with her business interests. The Business Hub provides advice on how to acquire funding for start-ups and can help entrepreneurs find the resources they need to grow their businesses.
A similar information sharing event will be held in the coming month to continue advising and supporting local SMMEs to grow by exposing them to potential customers and raising funds for their businesses, to accelerate economic growth in the City.
Written by Getrude Mamabolo
24/03/2023