The department of economic development recently hosted the inner-city rejuvenation networking session, with key stakeholders and investors, at one of Joburg’ s newly established and contemporary mixed-use building, No.1 Eloff Street.
The building boasts a platform for doing business, provides space to a diverse number of emerging entrepreneurs, offers affordable accommodation and a vibrant city ambience from their restaurants, encompassed by jazz bars and artist studios all under one roof.
The department of economic development specifically chose this particular venue in order to showcase the possibilities that can emanate from rejuvenating the inner city.
The inner city of Johannesburg is being transformed into a vibrant, thriving business environment, with affordable housing and bounteous leisure. At the heart of achieving this goal is the imperative support needed from the private sector and the willingness from relevant and key investors to look at the city of Joburg in a whole new light – a positive light.
In order to successfully rebuild the city of Joburg, all key role players will have to focus their energies on driving towards one accord. The city has demonstrated the immense value of the inner city community through the reconstruction of the Inner City Partnership Forum, an important platform for collaborative efforts driven towards reshaping the inner city in all facets.
As the Member of Mayoral Committee for Economic Development, Councillor Knott highlighted the role of her department in building a thriving inner city economy, open to the entrepreneurs of Johannesburg and the business men and women who come from all over the globe to do business here.
Johannesburg needs to step up to the plate as the economic hub of Africa and create a 24-hour city where we can truly say we live, work and play.
During his keynote address at the inner-city rejuvenation networking session, Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba reiterated the importance of all-inclusive business opportunities that the city of Joburg holds and can execute, in order to drive progressive empowerment for the people of Johannesburg.
“You see, the problems that confront our inner city today, were entirely preventable, the breakdown of law and order, by-laws being ignored, and hijacking of buildings by criminal elements, and grime and filth are all failures of man,” said Mashaba.
“I see an inner city of high-rise buildings, with the lights, sounds and smells of a vibrant, diverse heartbeat of our city, a place where the hijacked and bad buildings have been converted into low-cost, affordable housing for our people - I see a place where small businesses and young professionals can come here to set up, and not be priced out of the Rosebanks and Sandtons of our City.”
The City will by the end of the 2017/18 financial year have initiated another 70 buildings being turned over for proposals that cater for all Joburgers.
-Image: Johannesburg Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba
-Content supplied by City of Johannesburg
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