City of Cape Town offers local businesses support 

The City of Cape Town is offering local businesses various forms of support as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on the economy and income revenue streams. 

Cape Town businesses are encouraged to access available support from the City of Cape Town

James Vos, Mayco Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management explains the ways that the COCT is providing key support to local SMMEs.

“Support offered through E&I Department includes enhancing business retention and expansion efforts, enterprise development through the ease of doing business programme, workforce development and training for high growth sectors, investment facilitation and promotion, and industry support provided in partnership by our Strategic Business Partners (SBPs).”

Support available

The City of Cape Town is offering various forms of accessible support to a range of businesses: 

• Bed and breakfast establishments can reclassify as temporary residential properties, alleviating the costs of rates and bills. Assistance for this can be accessed via contact with the relevant department at Valuations.RCC@capetown.gov.za.

• Rental relief is available for business lessees who may face business closure or a massive reduction in revenue. This can be accessed via an application made to Property Management. Each application is evaluated based on a proven case. Enquiries and applications can be submitted via realestate.service@capetown.gov.za.

• The COCT Business Support Programme, run by the City’s Enterprise and Investment Department’s Business Hub, provides assistance to small businesses with 15 – 50 employees. The programme helps businesses proactively address their current issues with solutions to avoid possible closure, liquidation, or job losses. The Business Hub can be contacted on 021 417 4043 or email business.support@capetown.gov.za.   

“In addition to these relief measures, other interventions to help businesses include clear communication on the various levels of lockdown and the distribution of COVID-19 SMME Toolkits, comprising essentials to assist businesses to get back to work safely. We will continue to engage with the various business sectors to get their input, understand their challenges so that we can provide the most suitable and effective assistance during this time and post COVID-19,” adds Vos. 

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Featured image: Zoë Reeve via Unsplash