This highlights what can be done in Mamelodi to change its community and formalize the businesses in that area to a more commercial space. This is a business idea presentation with the SBMC attached
Equalizing the social economic divide between Mamelodi and Pretoria east
South Africans understand that township economies operate differently from that of normal city and
suburban economies. South African township economies operate in small qualities and can only
deliver services that a person has the capacity to deliver. Our project is based on GG Alcock’s research
and his theory about townships and how they operate economically, in Allcock’s books, Kasinomics,
he layouts out what township economies lack and do want, research done by LWS, shows that artisans
within the township community lack a space and resources to practice and further their craft.
Mamelodi is a township in the Eastern part of Pretoria and is known for its apartheid history and for
being the ‘richest’ township in Gauteng with a variety of shopping centres, clinics, and a government
hospital. However, the people at make up the Mamelodi area are typically domestic workers or self-
employed street vendors- thereby all work is not accounted for when determining the level of
employment within South Africa, these informal traders create their own economies that operate only
on money and on trade. Most vendors do not have access to essences for their business to grow,
factors such as loadshedding prevents tailor and bakers from practicing and keeping their shops open.
The aim of our business is to reduce the number of informal traders within the Mamelodi community
by providing the services to register their small businesses as well as give them a place to practice and
better their craft. Our Business is a Two- sided model as we plan to fund this operation through a
separate business – specializing in business consulting, this business will the operate inside the space
with create for our artisans for two reasons, the services will be accessible to those that want to
register their business and second property is cheaper and can be better managed by staff when they
are onsite. The number of staff members on site will be minimal as the business itself will be a hybrid
business that operates on a larger scale across South Africa to fund the social aspect of the business.
The design of the space
provided to artisans will be
similar to that of Melville’s 27
boxes. Where pack-flat
structures or shipping
containers make up the
building. Tradesmen can then
set up shop for an agree
amount of time with a site
manager and they will be
invoiced based on the duration
of their time operating onsite.
The building will aim to be as
green as possible, allowing for
community gardens – which can be maintained by locals and can be assisted by the students of
Mamelodi campus as part of their OBS114 module. There will be solar-generated energy to ensure
that loadshedding does not impact the work for the tradesmen. Build and maintain personalized,
empathetic, and long-term relationships with informal business owners in South Africa, providing
ongoing support, guidance, and community engagement to help them succeed.
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