City of Johannesburg opened its fourth Opportunity Centre in Klipfontein View, north of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Department of Economic Development Councillor Leah Knott said the Opportunity Centre would be of advantage to small businesses and entrepreneurs in Klipfontein View.
“Surrounding areas as a single point of entry for mentorship and holistic guidance on starting and running an enterprise in Klipfontein View will also benefit. Centres like Roodepoort and Diepsloot were launched before and Opportunity Centre is the forth one, following the one in the inner city. A business centre also offers services to Orange Farm community in partnership with Discovery”, said Knott.
She added that the Department of Economic Development understands the reality and consequences of rising unemployment and desperation for real job opportunities to youth.
“Statistics confirmed that youth between 15-24 years are the most vulnerable in the South Africa labour market. Unemployment rate among this group was 55.2% in the first quarter of 2019. The Opportunity Centre provides for both resources, mostly enabling environment for both new and existing small businesses and entrepreneurs. This will assist them to explore their potential and find creative ways of participating in the economy”, he added.
Knott went on to say the City has recognised the obstacles faced by youth who want to bring their ideas to life and explore into the world of business. He added that some of challenges for the youth in townships include absence of relevant institutions to assist with information.
“By launching this centre, the aim is to bridge the gap between services and people. The City has roped in different partners to make this reality and it includes South Africa Revenue Service, Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), Innovation Hub, Productivity SA, Small Enterprise Development Agency, South African Institute of Chartered Accounts (SAICA), ABSA, TUHF, GenAfrica, Discovery and smart Procurement World”, said Knott.
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said the opening of the city was a fight back against the crisis of unemployment that has left 38% percent of South Africans unemployed.
He added that unemployment is destroying the fiber of South Africans, urging the community to use this facility because it belongs to them.
“Black youth today has got a better chance of going to jail, turning into a drug addict, alcohol addict and dying than being successful and in the process families are falling apart”.
He continued to say that the South Africa’s public education system is producing one of the worst results in the world. “Teachers failed a grade 3 English test, do you think we can build an economy in that environment”.
Mashaba says most business in the townships are now owned by foreign nationals and he keeps asking himself if they fought apartheid so that everybody could come and take over the country.
A grade 12 learner from the area, Duncan Mantji, named the Centre “Thusanang”, translated as help each other in English.
Mantji said the centre will help youth to stay away from crime.
“I am grateful to the City of Joburg for choosing the name (Thusanang).
