GEORGE NEWS - Sixteen small business in the Garden Route were selected to receive equipment and products as part of the Garden Route District Municipality's (GRDM) support programme for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
The handover took place on Thursday 30 March. The programme is aimed at assisting small entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
The beneficiaries were chosen from 63 applicants (Bitou – 5, Knysna – 12, George – 25, Oudtshoorn – 4, Mossel Bay – 2 and Hessequa – 5) through a rigorous selection process, according to GRDM Cllr Cobus Meiring.
A total of R350 000 was invested in the project for this financial year. Meiring said the development of SMMEs in the Garden Route is invaluable as it benefits the economy and reduces unemployment.
Over the past three years, 66 SMMEs benefitted from the programme to the total value of more than R1,6 million.
Dr Keith du Plessis, CEO of Casidra, expressed the hope that the programme will continue to grow from strength to strength. He also thanked officials from Casidra that made the delivery of the programme possible.
Smallbusinesswoman Vuyokasi Melenie thanking stakeholders for the support to her business.
Stakeholder representatives at the handover, from left: Lusanda Menze (GRDM), Clyde Lamberts (Department of Agriculture), Warren Marcus (Casidra), Melanie Wilson and Mayor Memory Booysen (GRDM), Dr Keith du Plessis (Casidra), Natalie Raubenheimer (GRDM), Paul Hoffman (WCEDP), and Johannes Jafta, Richard Dyantyi and Amagene Koeberg (all three from GRDM).
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