Thriving township economy vital to Southern Africa’s economic revival

Township Economies Driving Development, Trade and Inclusive Growth

Almost half of Southern Africa’s urban population resides in townships and informal settlements, with this segment of the population representing a market worth hundreds of billions of Rands.

Due to the economic conditions of this segment, a majority of their spending on food and household products is done using cash from local independent stores, street traders and spaza shops. The township economy represents a significant opportunity for both manufacturers and importers of food and FMCG goods.

dmg events food, beverage and trade offerings, Africa’s Big 7 and SAITEX along with key stakeholders have developed an initiative to drive development, trade and inclusive growth in Southern Africa’s townships and informal economy by providing buyers and sellers with opportunities to access the township economy through our content, features, speakers and exhibiting opportunities.

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Supporting Partners

How You will Acess the Townshop Economy

BUYERS

Buyers will occupy exhibition space to engage with local and international companies looking to access this market.
Primary and secondary buyers will be in attendance.
Confirmed TECVEST members fitting the correct buyer profile attendance at the show.

CONTENT

In partnership with TECVEST, Banking Association South Africa (BASA) and SMME Chamber of Commerce, we offer free workshops and key discussions to upskill SMME’s which include:

Stakeholder engagement – Role of municipalities and how to unlock the township economy
SMME access to finance – How to mobilise funding
Women in Trade – Transformation and opportunities
Practical steps on how to re-establish your business masterclasses
Country insights from SMMEs exploring new markets

EXHIBITING

Sell-side sectors which will be featured in the show include:

Through Africa’s Big 7, our food & beverage offering: retail-ready food, beverages, sweets and confectionary, canned goods, dry goods, grains and cereals
Through SAITEX, our trade offering: fabrics and textiles, haircare and cosmetics, tools and hardware.

By exhibiting sellers will get direct access to buyers providing them with an opportunity to generate new leads, create new opportunities in the township economy markets, engage with Southern African stakeholders and promote their brand to a curated set of buyers.

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Retail Dominates the Informal Township

Informal businesses operate within a multitude of industries and offer goods and services that meet various social and economic needs within township communities. Retail dominates the informal township economy, with spaza shops, fast food outlets, bakeries, shebeens and hawkers. Additional businesses include backroom rentals, minibus taxi operators, mechanics and panel beaters, metal fabricators, childcare services, barbers and hair salons among others.