Township and Rural Economies to Come Under Spotlight at National Summit in East London

More than 1000 delegates from across the country will converge in the Buffalo City to exchange ideas, knowledge and expertise on the mechanisms, interventions, models and best practices that will take entrepreneurial activities in the townships and rural areas to a higher level

PRETORIA, South Africa, July 17, 2018,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- African Media Agency (AMA)/- The transformation of the country’s rural areas and townships into beehives of productive economic activities and manufacturing will come under the spotlight at the national summit in East London this week. The National Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Rural and Township Economy Summit will take place at the East London International Convention Centre from 19-20 July 2018.

The theme of the summit, which is organised by the Department of Trade and Industries (the dti) in partnership with the Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council and the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, is Transforming Townships and Rural Areas from being Consumer Communities into Entrepreneurial Societies.

More than 1000 delegates from across the country will converge in the Buffalo City to exchange ideas, knowledge and expertise on the mechanisms, interventions, models and best practices that will take entrepreneurial activities in the townships and rural areas to a higher level.

According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, the transformation of the economy of this country will not be complete if people living in the townships and rural areas do not become producers of products that they consume, and the goods they use in their daily lives.

“The unfortunate pattern of goods and services produced elsewhere flowing to the rural areas and townships, and the millions of rands leaving the townships and rural areas to pay for these goods and services, will have to change. This can only be achieved if communities and entrepreneurs operating in these areas are economically empowered and assisted to upscale their economic activities and create industries that will manufacture products for local consumption. This will lead to the stimulation of the rural and township economies which will contribute in the country’s economic growth, creation of employment and eradication of poverty,” says Davies.

The national summit was preceded by a series of provincial breakfast dialogues and seminars on the revitalisation of the township and rural industrial economy that the dti hosted throughout the country in partnership with the provincial departments of economic development.

“Our provincial roadshow proved to be a crucial element of the build-up to the national summit in that entrepreneurs in various parts of the country got an opportunity to talk to us in an open dialogue and influence the agenda for the national summit.  Communities and entrepreneurs, as well as big business, made their views known to us about their challenges and what they think government and the private sector can do to stimulate the rural and township economies. Delegates at the national summit will brainstorm these ideas and proposals with the aim of coming up with implementable and sustainable solutions and interventions,” stresses Davies.

Davies also adds that efforts to transform the rural and township economies are also aimed at ensuring that youth, women, people with disabilities, unemployed community members, as well as small and medium enterprises based in the rural areas and townships become actively involved in the production of products and goods not only for local consumption but for the market across the country and beyond.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of The Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa.