Government offers relief aid to small businesses after KZN unrest
The closing date for applications is September 12.
IN a bid to help small businesses rebuild after the recent KZN unrest, the eThekwini Municipality have opened applications for the Spaza Relief Fund.
The closing date for applications is September 12.
In a statement on the eThekwini Municipality website, the municipality said they are running this initiative in partnership with cell service providers, MTN, to offer financial support to shop owners who want to become mobile money (MoMo) agents.
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“Each beneficiary will receive a total of R7 000 which includes R 5 000 to restock and R2 000 starting capital for the electronic wallet, MoMo. With the MoMo app, merchants can sell airtime and earn a commission,” read the statement.
Head of the City’s Business Support, Tourism, Markets, and Agri-Business Unit, Thulani Nzama thanked MTN for heeding government’s call to embrace public-private partnerships.
“This partnership will go a long way to assist spaza shop owners get back on their feet as they are key drivers of local economies,” he said.
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MTN SA Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Motsa said: “We are assisting spaza shops to restock and start doing business again. They help to drive local economies as they create jobs and are often hubs of business activities. They bring basic foods and services directly to communities. MoMo will also allow communities to be digitally connected as they can do many transactions via the app.”
Applicants must email their motivation letter to Spazarelief.za@mtn.com or hand-deliver it to the One-Stop Centre located at Mystrals at the Durban Exhibition Centre. The letter must be accompanied by the applicant’s South African ID, proof of residence, and a picture of the spaza shop.
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