One-stop centre for small businesses

The centre will assist with registering new businesses, conduct business health checks and help entrepreneurs register on the central supplier database.

Councillor Georgen Miggels gives the opening address at the launch of the Enterprise Development Centre in Uitenhage this morning. Miggels who's from Uitenhage says a change has come to the town this morning and he won't rest until they make NMB an all inclusive Metro

— nomazima nkosi (@Zima_B_Nkosi)

It will also teach small business owners all they need to know about filling in tender documents.

Based at the Uitenhage Science Centre, there will be workshops for small businesses and entrepreneurs on how to register their businesses, draw up proposals, link up with industry professionals and receive advice on tax and bookkeeping.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s economic development, tourism and agriculture (EDTA) executive director, Anele Qaba, said people would no longer have to travel long distances, spending money they did not have, just to ask for advice.

“The idea from EDTA was that we needed to go to where the people are and we need to provide support to them,” Qaba said.

Speaking at the launch, mayor Athol Trollip said if the metro did not create opportunities for people, the city would not grow into a vibrant economy.

Trollip said with the centre, they hoped to increase development in previously disadvantaged communities, who were kept out of the mainstream economy to be job seekers instead of job creators.

Lillian Bouwer, 30, from Lapland, who was the only aspiring entrepreneur at the launch, said she was excited about using the centre as she had always wanted to start her own business.