Durban – The Msunduzi municipality is on a campaign to encourage businesses not to move out of the city centre.
Over the past few days, the city’s officials have visited several businesses in the city centre to learn of their concerns and challenges.
Among the top challenges raised by businesses was infrastructure problems, by-law infringements by other businesses and crime.
Last week the Business Development and Local Economic Development units officials visited Home and Beyond, which is a retail linen business based in the city centre.
This after it also visited Darroz Accessories and Components
In a statement on its social media pages, the city said these businesses were amongst a number of other local businesses that the municipality has visited to have an engagement and learn the challenges that they face in their operations within the city.
“This is part of the business retention and expansion strategy by the Municipality that seeks to establish and maintain close relationships with local businesses. Msunduzi Municipality uses this strategy to also engage with entrepreneurs to learn their challenges, and have meaningful discussions on how the Municipality can intervene.
Msunduzi continues to conduct these local business visits, as it has discovered a number of challenges highlighted by local entrepreneurs including the infrastructure, other business owners not following city by-laws and crime, said the statement.
The Municipality looks to have an ongoing relationship with local businesses as it believes working together, the City will be able to retain these businesses as they contribute largely to local economic growth.
The City aims to continue with local business visitation so that it is able to retain such businesses given that they largely contribute to local economic growth.