Digitised permits for informal traders
Brümilda Swartbooi
The City’s digitised informal trading permits benefit informal traders, including ability to register and apply for a trading licence electronically.
Once fully-fledged, the digital application system will enable a trader or anyone wishing to become a trader in the City to remotely register and apply for a trading permit.
According to deputy director for Informal Trading Herold Mbowane, other advantages of digitising the application process include the timely generation of reports for the informal trading sector.
“The system serves as an information centre to send communication to traders in real time via SMS and assist in bylaw management,” Mbowane says.
He adds that the City’s previous informal trader system was manual, could not generate and provide real-time information, and could easily be manipulated.
Mbowane points out that the digital informal trading permit is consistent with the informal trading policy, which was approved by the Johannesburg City Council in April last year. The policy has been in the works since 2018 and was first approved by the Economic Development Section 79 Oversight Committee to be tabled at an ordinary council meeting.
The policy was later adopted by council and became a bylaw, paving the way for the City to have an organised informal trading sector.
Mbowane says the reviewed informal trading policy is inclusive of traders, property owners and City departments.
“The policy recognises that informal trading creates employment, as opposed to its earlier version. It is underpinned by social, spatial, communication and economic principles, and is the basis for the City’s bylaw review process. Beneficiaries of the digital informal trading permit will be able to register and apply anywhere at any time, and they don’t have to go to any office to register or apply for a trading permit, which will save time and money,” says Mbowane.
He adds that the system is also able to provide and communicate real-time information to traders or beneficiaries; while personal data of beneficiaries will always be safeguarded.
