Community Development Workers host Co-operative Development Summit

Today, the Department of Local Government, through Community Development Workers (CDW’s), is hosting a Co-operative Development Summit at the Ceres Town Hall. This summit marks a significant step towards fostering collaboration, sharing resources, and facilitating growth within the co-operative sector.

The objectives of the Co-operative Development Summit, are aimed at providing valuable information, fostering relationships, and creating opportunities for co-operatives to thrive.  The summit promises to be a pivotal event in our quest to deepen community development.  In addition, this summit will go a long way to exchange available information and interventions to existing co-operatives, facilitating interaction with service providers, sharing funding opportunities, and creating a platform for peer learning.

The summit will feature participation from a diverse range of stakeholders and exhibitors, including Witzenberg Municipality, Cape Winelands District Municipality, Governmental bodies such as the Department of Small Business Development and the Department of Agriculture, as well as agencies like the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

Attendees can expect direct interaction with service providers, access to funding opportunities, and the chance to learn from successful co-operatives. Additionally, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) will introduce and demonstrate a new online registration process, streamlining administrative procedures for co-operatives.

"The Co-operative Development Summit represents a proactive effort to empower co-operatives and drive sustainable development in our region," stated the CDWs Regional Coordinator, Mr Ashraf Kafaar. "By bringing together key stakeholders and resources, we aim to facilitate growth and foster a thriving co-operative sector."