Township Stock Market determined to transform and advance local economy

South Africa’s local economy is one of the biggest and promising sectors, yet it awaits to realize its full potential and become the crucial economic player with significant contributions to build this economy and getting millions of the unemployed to work.

This is what Township Stock Market is aiming to achieve, through a number of interventions to advance the local economy and entrepreneurship in the economic inclusion.

Established about a year ago, Township Stock Market originated as a result of hardships entrepreneurs encounter in accessing funding in a form of capital acquisition – to pursue out of this world solutions our country and continent needs. The platform is in a conception of SA Communities Fund, which gathers contributions from members, as a stokvel kind of entry point, which then acquires share in the Township Stock Market.

With just being launched to the market over a year ago, the inception of this platform has received an overwhelming backing from the ground spheres of entrepreneurs, having launched a network of township retail distributors, where members can be distributors of any product under the network across the country.

All these member distributors get to earn a status of a Communities Fund network, in order to expand on the current products being distributed through the township retail network.

One of the products under this network, Amandla Meal – which is soon launching the maize meal product as an edition to its stock list, as this is a primary product in the market consumed in almost all households in the country, on a daily basis.

Joshua Ramme, founder of the Township Stock Market says, if the platform was to absorb about 23 million people contributing R300 each for a minimum of 3% shares, the platform would tremendously generate about R20,7 billion rands over the next three years, making it one of the biggest economic emancipation company ever in South Africa.

“We can then look at buying our own farms, purchasing our own factories, machinery which will then begin to realize a dream of economic emancipation for our people. We are currently listing spaza shop owners and independent distributors, with a conventional distribution network”, says Ramme, Township Stock Market founder.

The Township Stock Market currently sits with 150 contributor members to the platform, with a huge potential to grow the network in all townships across the country. This mechanism is aiming to connect local manufacturers, having a complete value chain, taking products from black farmers, processing these products and distributing them. This will be realized through township retail network, which is a unique and massive network with spaza shops alone estimated to be valued at R2 billion rands.

With a massive potential for growth, the platform has worked with traditional leaders across the country, as they are the primary custodians of the land in most parts of rural communities, that is not utilized for the purposes of agricultural benefits and otherwise, that will see a boost in the economic participation.

As an independent stock market, it aims to be inclusive of entrepreneurs and also looking into attracting scores of people who may not have the entrepreneurial essence, however, willing to invest and participating indirectly in the platform.

This is the time where communities have an exclusive undertaking to partake meaningfully in the economy, as opposed to waiting for government solutions – where there is a call to the empowerment of black people in communities in order to advance economic emancipation.