​Rofhiwa Marubini-Tshitahe 
The ground-breaking Township Economic Development Bill was officially signed into law by Premier David Makhura on Friday.
The new Act is part of the Gauteng Provincial Government's effort at establishing and formalising township businesses to be simpler, easier seamless and to promote a sustainable township economy via funding and infrastructure. 
"Today, I am filled with deep emotions as I sign into law a historic piece of legislation, the Township Economic Development Act. This Act is a timeless monument to the resilience & tenacity of towering pioneers of the Township Economy such as Ntate Richard Maponya," said Makhura.
The Act is built on the Township Economic Revitalisation Campaign held between 2015 and 2016, in which SMMEs from over 50 high-density townships were consulted.
Then, township businesses raised their challenges such as lack of access to formal markets, lack of proper commercial districts, land and affordable financial support for business expansion and formalisation.
The new Act provides a regulatory framework that makes it possible for entrepreneurs living in townships to establish viable and thriving businesses, small enterprises, and co-operatives in a less bureaucratic environment making it easy to climb the economic ladder.
It introduces an enabling framework to ensure that township-based retail malls and supermarkets partner with local service providers and manufacturers in sourcing products.
The Act establishes specific procurement rules and programmatic support that allows government and its main contractors to spend a certain percentage of their procurement spend on township-based enterprises or co-operatives.
Addressing small business entrepreneurs at the Orlando community hall in Soweto, Makhura said the by-laws enabled by this law also make it easier to incentivise the installation of broadband in township enterprise zones and empower township-based internet service providers. 
He added that the law will also outlaw the harassment of traders.
"The law outlaws the harassment of informal businesses by law agencies that go around harassing mothers who are selling to generate income for their children. We know that it happens in the townships, but now there will be no government official arbitrarily coming to close down businesses."  
Given the influx of people at taxi ranks, the Act promotes incentives for municipalities to develop taxi ranks into micro-central business districts, enabling the taxi economy to use its scale to grow supporting value chains and industries. 
Through its wide implementation, the Act will provide an R800 million Township Partnership Fund to support township-based businesses, the Taxi Rank economy, Backyard Real Estate developments, and township Retail Businesses.
Makhura who mirrored the Township Economic Development Act with the Obama Care Act, has set a target of boosting the fund to more than one billion rands by the end of the year.
"When President Obama was signing the Law called the Obama Care, it included the last section of Americans who were left out of the health care system. This Act includes the last section of township-based businesses that are left out of the mainstream economy. This is our Obama Care for the township economy," Makhura told the packed hall.   
Through this law, Makhura said government wants to see township-based firms entering the mainstream economy and taking up space in the Special Economic Zones across the Gauteng City Region. 
In this regard, Makhura said the Act allows national, provincial and municipal governments to release land for business purposes.
"For those who want to expand and create more jobs, we will release land on a long-term lease so that you can grow food," said Makhura 
Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Parks Tau said the Act marks a paradigm shift to realise economic emancipation for townships and informal settlements where unemployment, poverty and deprivation are still concentrated.
"This Act will allow township enterprises access to developmental opportunities, access to finance, training, equipment, and new markets directly. It is a developmental legislative framework that addresses economic, geographical, technological and social inequalities."
You can download and read more on the Gauteng Township Economic Development Act, here https://bit.ly/3Ahx50M