The Gauteng provincial government (GPG) on Tuesday launched the Mohlakeng Enterprise Hub, in the township of Mohlakeng near Randfontein, in Gauteng.

This hub was the second to be established as part of the GPG’s township enterprise hub programme, the first of which was the Winterveld Enterprise Hub: Automotive, which was launched in February.

The GPG’s township enterprise hubs were aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship, revitalising township economies, fostering skills development and reducing youth unemployment.

“Entrepreneurship is the way to go, for job creation and skills development and for inclusive growth,” Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said on Tuesday.

Addressing the media at the launch of the Mohlakeng Enterprise Hub, she explained that this programme within the Gauteng government was all-inclusive, involving skills development as well as access to finance.

She said at least three financial institutions had already “come to the party” as there was credibility in the project.

The GPG spent R19-million on infrastructure and equipment to establish the Mohlakeng hub and planned to spend another R7.2-million over the next three years on the facility’s management and functionality, Mokonyane added.

The hub would incubate 36 cooperatives and small businesses specialising in the light manufacturing subsectors of carpentry, sewing and tailoring, baking and confectionaries, construction and steel works, and, at a later stage, car seat and toilet roll manufacturing.

The entrepreneurs that would be incubated, for a period not exceeding three years, had already been identified through the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP).

“The businesses chosen for the hub … were already in touch with the GEP. They also made their own applications to their municipality and are in our database,” Mokonyane explained. 

She added that the people chosen were “ordinary South Africans who have been trying on their own” and were now being given the infrastructure, capacity and exposure to the market needed to be sustainable.

Further, the Mohlakeng Enterprise Hub would also provide open access to other entrepreneurs in Randfontein and the surrounding areas.

The hub would be managed by the GEP in partnership with the Randfontein local municipality and private sector partners.

Meanwhile, Mokonyane pointed out that the GPG planned to roll out similar hubs across the province.

“Ideally, in the long term, we would want every established township to have this kind of facility,” she said, adding that the next hub to be rolled out would be located in Camdor on the West Rand.

Mokonyane stated that hubs like those in Mohlakeng and Winterveld were what was needed for South Africa to grow its economy, fight unemployment, deal with poverty and create growth and wealth among those who lived in a particular neigbourhood.