City hands over first CPT+U COVID-19 toolkits to informal traders

Today, Wednesday 29 July 2020, the City of Cape Town launched the CPT+U COVID-19 Informal Traders’ Toolkits campaign, which will see 10 000 informal traders receive these toolkits over the coming weeks. Executive Mayor Dan Plato and Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management Alderman Grant Twigg handed over the first toolkits to informal traders at the Cape Town Civic Centre activation site. Read more below:

Approximately 1 300 informal traders will be receiving their COVID-19 Informal Traders’ Toolkits at four venues today in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Athlone and Cape Town Civic Centre.

‘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 very pleased to be a part of today’s launch of the COVID-19 toolkits for informal traders. 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.

The first phase of beneficiaries included informal traders from some of the City’s most vulnerable hotspot areas. This includes traders from 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.

Informal trader Pumlisa Diamond from Dunoon (pictured above on photo 1) said: ‘No one has supported my business with anything before, this is the first time I feel like I matter, thank you to the City.’

Lulama Mgodini, an informal trader from Dunoon (pictured above on photo 2), said: ‘I am very grateful to the City for this free gift. It will save me money and keep me safe while trading on the streets.’

They are among 10 000 informal traders registered on the City’s database, who have COVID-19 permits and concession letters. These toolkits will be distributed over the coming weeks aimed to help traders and their customers to do business in a safe environment, compliant with COVID-19 protocols.

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

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.

‘We are very excited to see the planning of this campaign now become a reality with the first toolkits being gifted to informal traders. As a caring City, we are making every effort to provide the necessary support to our informal traders so they can continue to trade and earn a living during the pandemic. This initiative is testament to the City’s support in action for this vital sector during this very challenging time.

‘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 via SMS and will need to indicate by responding to the message if they are interested in the offer.

Thereafter, more details, including collection of the toolkits, will be communicated directly to qualifying informal traders as the process continues. Traders will receive a confirmation SMS, which will include a date for collection.

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.