13 Small businesses receive support from Garden Route District Municipality

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) has invested over R3 million supporting 121 local businesses across the region since the launch of its Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Support Programme in 2019.

This year, 13 MSMEs from various towns in the Garden Route have been selected as beneficiaries of the 2025 intake. The official handover of support packages took place on Friday 1 August.

To ensure effective and sustainable impact, GRDM partnered with the Cape Agency for Sustainable Integrated Development in Rural Areas (Casidra) and the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEFDA) to procure goods and equipment tailored to each business's needs.

The beneficiary selection process was driven by a dedicated committee comprising representatives from Casidra, SEFDA, Local Economic Development (LED) Managers from local municipalities, and the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (WCEDP).

A vision for inclusive growth
Speaking at the handover event, GRDM Mayor Andrew Stroebel emphasised the significance of the MSME programme in shaping a resilient and inclusive local economy.

“This MSME Programme is one of the ways GRDM is turning its vision of inclusive growth into action. Through this programme, we are giving small businesses the push they need to go further, faster – because we know that real development happens when local businesses are empowered to lead change in their communities.”

The mayor also expressed gratitude to the programme’s partners:

“To our partners at Casidra and SEFDA – thank you for your technical expertise, mentorship, and unwavering belief in this initiative. Your collaboration is helping us bring practical, lasting change to our region.”

Sustainable Impact for the Garden Route
The MSME programme aligns with GRDM’s long-term development strategy to uplift local entrepreneurs, strengthen the regional economy, and build sustainable livelihoods.