Mr. Sibusiso Biyela
Manager Local Economic Development, Agriculture & Tourism
Tel: 016 950 6519/6548
E-mail:sibusisob@emfuleni.gov.za

Overview

Agriculture, LED & Tourism department is responsible for the facilitation of and the development of Local economy, promoting and marketing Emfuleni as a Tourism destination and the development of agriculture in Emfuleni. The department does this through various engagements and partnership formations with National Departments, Provincial Department, District Municipality, Civil Society and the Private Sector.

Functions of the department

The department is composed of the following sections:

1. Local Economic Development (Sections in LED)

• Advertising
• Informal Trading
• Business Development and Growth
• Enterprise Development
• Agriculture

2. Tourism

• Marketing and Signage

Functions defined

1. Advertising

Advertising means the act or practice of calling public attention to one’s product, service, need, etc especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines over radio and television. However, Emfuleni concentrates mainly on billboards, street pole advertising and any other advertising that happens on municipal land. The daily activities of this unit within LED comprise of:

• Administration and control of advertising industry in the entire Emfuleni municipality jurisdiction
• Implementation of Advertising policy and by-laws
• Inspection of both temporary and permanent advertising signs
• Monitor, control and removal of illegal advertising signs
• Monitoring advertising agreements
• Approval of advertising applications in Emfuleni in conjunction with technical departments such as roads, building control, electrical department, etc.
• Issuing out of stickers to approved advertising plans

2. Informal Trading

Informal Trading means the selling of any legal goods or the supply or offer to supply any service for reward as an informal trader in a public road or public space. The daily activities of the unit within LED include but not limited to:

• Allocation of informal trading stands in Emfuleni
• Monitor illegal trading in conjunction with By-law unit
• Facilitate formations of informal trading associations
• Facilitate the provision of informal trading infrastructure in collaboration with Provincial Departments
• Identify and formalize informal trading spaces in collaboration with technical departments such as Land Use Management, Properties Department, Building control, Metsi a Lekoa, etc.
• Compilation and updating of Data-bases.

3. Business Retention and Growth

The objective of this unit is to ensure that businesses that exist within the major CBD’s of the Municipality (Vanderbijlpark & Vereeniging) stay within the CBD and that they are assisted to grow. One of the major projects within this unit include Urban Development Tax Incentive Scheme (UDZ)
UDZ’s objectives include:

• To help discourage the dilapidation of South Africa’s major cities
• To promote Urban renewal and development through private sector investment in the construction and improvement of buildings.
• Additional responsibilities of the unit include:
• Continuous maintenance of the Vereeniging Urban Renewal Tax Incentive Scheme.
• Promotion of safe and secure environment for investment through encouragement of dialogue between private and public sectors.

4. Enterprise Development

The unit’s responsibility is about the following:

• Facilitating of SMME and Co-operatives Development
• Assist remerging business with training, referrals for funding and linking them with big business for mentoring and business opportunities.
• Organise continuous capacity building program
• Compilation and updating of Data-bases.

5. Agriculture

The responsibility of this unit is the facilitation of agriculture development through partnership with provincial sector departments such as Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Department of Land Affairs.

Key Agriculture projects within the unit in LED include:

• Home Food Stead-gardens, Community Gardens, Schools Gardens through the provision of starter-packs
• Agri-parks
• Facilitation of the formation of agriculture cooperatives

Tourism and Marketing

The main objective of the Tourism and Marketing Department is to manage, develop, promote and
market tourism in the Emfuleni area by formulating and implementing tourism development programs
according to National and Provincial legislation to ensure sustainable and responsible tourism
products to support and develop the local economy. In order to achieve the mentioned objective the
Tourism Department must:

• Ensure and enabling institutional framework to improve co-operation and communication
• Establish partnerships and linkages to extend the network with relevant partners in the public and private sector to benefit all.
• Ensure an informed and skilled community, facilitate awareness and build a culture of service excellence.
• Manage, disseminate and share relevant information with the industry and the public.
• Develop innovative tourism products in partnership with public and private sectors to support tourism, increase investment and SMME’s.
• Improve the physical environment and reduce pollution and litter levels.
• Growing the tourism industry by marketing the area’s attractions and tourism products.

Other Important Contact details

Jerry Moledi
Assistant Manager: LED
Local Economic Development, Agriculture & Tourism
Tel: 016 950 6544
Cell: 079 254 4082
E-mail: jerrym@emfuleni.gov.za

Gerrie Stroh

Assistant Manager: Tourism
Local Economic Development, Agriculture & Tourism
Tel: 016 950 6384/6381
Cell: 082 610 6242
E-mail: gerries@emfuleni.gov.za