Residents have been asked to put on their thinking caps and let the creative and logistical juices flow as the City of Cape Town’s Economic Development Department launches its “Citymart challenge” and calls on the public to submit innovative solutions to enhance and strengthen the informal trading sector.
Informal trading is an essential sector that represents approximately 12% of Cape Town’s economy and employs about 18% of its economically active residents.
Says Councillor Garreth Bloor, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development: “Through this call, the City hopes to rejuvenate informal trading by soliciting input from the public which could provide possible solutions to the challenges or problems that the informal trading sector is facing.
“As a significant contributor to our economy, it is important for this sector to grow, and this is an opportunity for the community to be part of making progress possible together by submitting solutions that aim to provide better quality services, within the City’s available resources, for the informal trading sector.”
The City currently has 2 497 trading sites registered on its e-permit system but manages more than 4 000 informal business sites situated across Cape Town – from the CBD (where there are approximately 900 informal traders) to informal settlements, rural areas, and tourist hotspots such as Cape Point.
Where possible, the City provides trading infrastructure such as hard-surfaced areas, fixed trading stands or roof structures and in some instances ancillary services including access to water and/or an electricity supply to various sites. However, in many cases, the infrastructure that is provided by the City can be improved.
Solutions can include infrastructure proposals such as creating stands that are maintainable, cost-effective or easy to transport, as well how to optimise site management and to improve customer experience.
“We are looking forward to the submissions from residents,” says Bloor. “It is important for residents to remember that their solutions have the potential to effect change in the informal trading sector, which will in turn attract more business, stimulate economic growth and create more opportunities, such as employment.”
For this competition, the City is partnering with Citymart, a global organisation focused on opening government processes as a key to civic innovation by engaging residents and matching community needs with the best available solutions.
Once the submissions have been received, the City’s jurors will choose viable solutions to help strengthen its approach to informal trading through knowledge sharing, a pilot project, or a demonstration of the impact of the winning solution in the city.
The challenge also has the potential to lead to the City partnering with other cities on best practice. This platform will offer informal traders the opportunity to be exposed to best practice in this industry worldwide, which they could use as an inspiration to improve aspects such as their customer service or site management.
Informal traders who do not have access to a smartphone are encouraged to make use of the City’s free SmartCape internet access at libraries.
For more information on the challenge, visit http://my.citymart.com/Call/CoCT_economic_innovation to submit solutions.
The deadline is 16 April 2015.
Photo of informal trading on Greenmarket Square: Scott Arendse, CCID