• Informal traders in Cape Town will receive toolkits to help them trade safely amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Among others, the kit includes three litres of hand sanitiser, two cloth masks and an information pack on how to operate safely.
• Mayor Dan Plato said the kit was to help traders "take the necessary precautions to reopen safely". 

Ten thousand of Cape Town's informal traders will in coming weeks be given the tools to trade safely amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aimed at helping traders and their customers do business in a safe environment, compliant with protocols, the City of Cape Town has started distributing a free toolkit to those registered on its database in possession of Covid-19 permits and concession letters.

The kit consists of three litres of hand sanitiser, a "social distancing mat" to remind customers to keep 1.5m from traders, two cloth masks, a toolkit bag, a beanie and an information pack on how to operate safely. 

On Wednesday, about 1 300 informal traders received their kits in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Athlone and at the Cape Town Civic Centre.

Among the first recipients was Lulama Mgodini, who plies his trade in Dunoon.

He said the toolkit would save him money and keep him safe while trading on the streets.

Mayor Dan Plato, in a statement, said the kit was to help traders "take the necessary precautions to reopen safely and resume trading as required by the lockdown regulations".

According to the City, the first phase of beneficiaries included informal traders from the most vulnerable hotspot areas, where there is also a high dependency on income generated from informal trading activities.

Mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management James Vos said the initiative aims to "lighten the load on these businesses, who are paying out of their own pockets to comply with Covid-19 measures".

"There is no other option if we are going to reduce the spread of this virus and keep our economy open," Vos said.

According to the City, those registered on its database in possession of permits and concession letters will be contacted via SMS to determine whether they are interested, and how to collect their kits.

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