In a proactive move to bolster Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) as crucial drivers of employment in the Western Cape province, Mireille Wenger, Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, officially delivered an alternative energy system to the D’almeida trading hub in Mossel Bay.
SMMEs often grapple with the challenge of unreliable electricity supply, particularly during power outages by Eskom. To address this, the Alternative Energy Support Programme (AESP) has initiated the installation of solar PV systems at twelve township and trading hubs across seven municipalities in the Western Cape, including Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Laingsburg, Cape Agulhas, Theewaterskloof, Drakenstein, and Stellenbosch.
Minister Wenger emphasized, “In the 2023/24 financial year, we have allocated a total of R12 million to install Solar PV backup systems at township and trading hubs, assisting at least 50 businesses to remain operational during Eskom power cuts, thereby sustaining more than 100 jobs.”
Addressing the gathering at the handover event, Minister Wenger highlighted the significance of the D’almeida trading hub in Mossel Bay, serving as a bustling public transport interchange and home to 12 dynamic SMMEs, supporting 22 jobs. She underscored the positive impact of the Alternative Energy Support Programme in enabling SMMEs, particularly those in informal and township trading hubs, to stay operational and preserve jobs.
Wenger reiterated the government’s commitment to facilitating the growth of SMMEs, emphasizing the importance of ensuring reliable power supply for these businesses. She reaffirmed the Western Cape Government’s dedication to fostering an enabling environment for SMMEs to flourish, in line with the economic action plan, ‘Growth For Jobs’, aimed at cultivating a resilient and thriving provincial economy.
Through initiatives like the Alternative Energy Support Programme, the Western Cape Government continues its mission to empower SMMEs as key contributors to economic growth and job creation in the region.
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