Bitou, grab your
PLETTENBERG BAY - Bitou Municipality has several initiatives lined up to stimulate job creation over the festive season, including its standing umbrella project and a new pop-up market.
Locals who want to be part of the buzzing beach atmosphere in Plett over the festive season have the opportunity to be part of Bitou's standing beach umbrella project. The municipality established the project several years ago to create informal trader opportunities and development. Businesses are encouraged to supply branded umbrellas, cushions and auxiliary offerings to holidaymakers from 1 December 2022 to end April 2023. In return, suppliers would receive branding opportunities on the municipality's beaches. Applications for this year's traders close today, Thursday 10 November, and includes trading for a team of four on Central Beach, a team of two at the Beacon Island, another team of four on Robberg 5 Beach, a team of two for Hobie Beach, a team of four for Lookout Beach and four teams of two for Poortjies, Sanctuary Beach, Nature's Valley and Keurbooms.
"The Bitou municipal beach umbrella project is a seasonal job creation initiative for unemployed people," says Bitou
Municipal Manager Mbulelo Memani. "The municipality does not charge any rental or trading fee as it is a temporary job creation initiative." Traders must be willing to trade seven days per week if weather permits and trading hours are between 07:00 and 19:00.
Application forms are available from the economic development office of the municipality at 57 Melville's Corner. For detailed information and further enquiries, Alicia Brettenny can be contacted on 044 501 3152 or aklein@plett.gov.za.
In another initiative to stimulate festive season business, the municipality along with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) invites small businesses to apply for a pop-up market project. It is earmarked for small businesses in the retail, manufacturing of goods and service industries.
It gives businesses an opportunity to display products and services at the market, which will be at the Market Square shopping centre from 1 to 4 December.
Applications are also available at Melville's Corner, as well as on the municipality's website: www.bitou.gov. za/bitou-pop-market. Applications must be submitted by Friday 11 November at 12:00. For further information, Jofré Lottering can be contacted on 044 5013150 or jlottering@plett.gov.za.