The City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Mpho Parks Tau recently made an announcement to the residents about the new Ivory Park Container Micro-mall.
“This new container micro-mall will soon be operational,” said Tau.
Tau, on behalf of the City and assisted by the outgoing Ward 79 councillor, Petrus Zitha, gave 61 beneficiaries their 30-year lease agreements.
“We set up these shops for the business community to benefit and to have access to land and to instil some form of ownership and to ensure the operators have management responsibilities,” said Tau.
“We plan to roll out this project to other regions. Ivory Park is the pioneer. I’m told there are about 250 people who are running a food gardening project in Ivory Park. This business model would maximise the benefit of possible entrepreneurs and will help in growing their businesses,” he said.
“This hub will also offer business support services to emerging entrepreneurs.”
Tau said container malls do not require town planning or rezoning, but are legally recognised, unlike the brick-and-mortar buildings that require planning regulations. The containers will use solar energy.
A well-known entertainer who has written a number of local dramas, Richard Hlatshwayo, is one of the beneficiaries. He said, “What a sigh of relief, I am glad that today I’m one of the people receiving a lease.” He currently runs a one-stop car dealership business at Bambanani Industrial Area in Ivory Park.
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