The Mangaung Metro collaborated with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to launch the first youth flea market at Leslie Monnyanne Building this past weekend.
According to Mangaung Metro spokesperson Qondile Khedama, the youth flea market seeks to enrich the bond with local and upcoming businesses.
Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi, along with Member of the Mayoral Committee for Local Economic Development and Tourism, Theodorah Mosala, visited the market to interface with young people in business.
“This event was created with the vision to promote local talent, stimulate small business growth, and encourage intergenerational dialogue in our municipality. This also gives the youth a chance to benefit financially, rather than sitting at home doing nothing,” said Mosala.
Khedama explained that the idea of the youth flea market is to provide a platform where young people could showcase their creativity, skills and business acumen. He further said this market is not only a space for trading goods, but also a lively meeting point for innovation, networking, and nurturing of community ties.
As key stakeholders in the city’s development, both the Mayor and MMC, along with NYDA have championed this programme to empower the youth, and grow the township economy, making this event a natural extension of their broader economic and community goal with the hope of having more youth flea markets in the near future.
“Having financial means as a young person relieves the stresses and also breaks the potential growth of GBV&F incidents. We believe that by helping young businesses break even, financial independence will help them grow,” said Mosala.
Compiled by Justine Fortuin
