The majority of these are situated in the North West.

This is according to Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, who replied to a written question in parliament posed by EFF MP, Pebane Moteka. 

Moteka asked the minister how many black-owned businesses situated in villages and small towns received R50 000 out of the R200 million that was allocated towards Covid-19 relief funding.

According to Kubayi-Ngubane, 56 black-owned businesses in the North West received assistance from the department. She stated that these businesses are situated in towns such as Vryburg and Klerksdorp, amongst others.

The Free State on the other hand, had 35 businesses, of which some are located in Phuthaditjaba and Virginia, that qualified for the relief fund.

Kubayi-Ngubane further stated that the department approved applications of 34 small black-owned businesses in towns such as Kuruman and Victoria West in the Northern Cape.

She added that the department approved 2 112 applications nationally, “Of these, 1 034 are level B-BBEE (100% black-owned), and 54 are level 2 (mixed owners – that include black people). These two combined make up 51.6% of approved businesses that are black-owned.”

She further stated that more than R105 million have been approved by the department thus far. 

Meanwhile, Kubayi-Ngubane won a court challenge by Solidarity and Afriforum regarding the department’s B-BBEE criteria for the Covid-19 Tourism Relief Fund on 30 April.

This as the relief fund come under scrutiny with many small, medium and micro enterprises saying the criteria exclude numerous tourism businesses affected by the pandemic.

OFM News