Light at the end of the tunnel
Business owners expand after closure of foreign owned tuckshops.
Township businesses are booming just months after residents took to the streets and forcefully removed and shut down foreign-owned shops in Kwa-Thema.
This is after numerous occasions where expired food items were found in some stores still on display and sold to unsuspecting clients, mostly children.
Since then, residents have been on high alert monitoring that none of the stores re-open.
Local tuckshop owner Jabulile Masombuka said her business has been thriving since the foreign-owned shops closed down.
“I opened my vegetable shop in 2022 selling only fruit and vegetables. I identified that the market for a full tuckshop was saturated, as at every second corner there was a foreign-owned tuckshop.
“When the residents decided to close down the foreign-owned shops, I expanded my shop by adding basic food items like bread, cold drinks and snacks.
“I used the profit to add more items. I now have a fully operational tuckshop and have employed two residents who were previously unemployed. My business is thriving,” she said.
Masombuka’s wish is to expand her shop by moving it to a bigger space where she could employ more unemployed residents.
Hardware business owner, Thami Zondo said this is the time for South African small business people to shine and use the opportunity to rebuild the township economy.
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“In the past few months, we have proven that our people have the will to start their businesses and see them through.
“In the past, our businesses failed because the foreign shop owners were competing unfairly. They sold their goods at a very low price and allowed customers to take credit for something which we could not afford,” he said.
The businessman is urging the government to use the opportunity to empower small business owners with business skills, especially in managing their finances. This will help sustain their businesses.
This way they will be able to fight unemployment in the townships and help improve their economy.
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