Informal traders call to JSE Top 100

NATIONAL NEWS - The South African Informal Traders Alliance (SAITA), the official voice of over 2 million micro and informal businesses in South Africa, is looking to partner with the JSE top 100 companies to help it create 1 million jobs.

SAITA’s Louise Silver says: “Our country’s unemployment rate is currently at 46.6%, and a staggering 66.5% amongst youth. There are far too many people without jobs and we have to do something to arrest this urgently, otherwise we are all in trouble.

"We know that the micro and informal business sector is a foundational incubator for jobs and entrepreneurship, and that it is far easier to gain entry into this sector.”

The micro and informal business sector currently contributes a third of all jobs in South Africa.

SAITA is specifically looking for corporates to support it with general marketing, including the development and implementation of a marketing strategy, design expertise, digital and traditional advertising and media buying capabilities.

“While this may seem like a small ask from Corporate South Africa, and specifically the JSE’s top 100 companies, but securing this support for our jobs campaign, called Project204, will have a profound and deeply meaningful impact on our ability to jointly create 1 million micro and informal sector jobs for our country.”

If successful, it will be the first time that corporates that make up the JSE top 100 and micro and informal business collaborate to address the country’s biggest challenge.

“People who run informal or micro businesses are inherently motivated to succeed. They are hard working self-starters who, with the appropriate training, skills development and business environment, can play a larger, more valuable role in the economy.

"When they succeed, they create jobs and ease the burden on the state, especially where it concerns grants. It is up to us, as formal and informal, big and micro, to partner in the interest of all of our futures,” concludes Silver.

SAITA is a registered NPC and has an NPO number, which means being aligned with SAITA is even more beneficial for BBBEE points.