By Daniëlle Gerber
It is well known that Stellenbosch is a tough place to start a business, yet one initiative is actively making it more accessible in the municipal context of Stellenbosch. Found next to Mystics on Victoria Street, The CoCreate Hub is about collaboration and connection – bringing new and innovative businesses into Stellenbosch Central. The CoCreate Hub promotes small businesses, with a focus on buying, eating, and connecting locally.
A quick browse around the Hub shows a variety of different start-ups and local businesses. The CoCreate Hub strives to bring more people into the Stellenbosch economy, especially from marginalised communities within the Stellenbosch municipal boundary[i]. Applications to become a vendor can be done through the CoCreate Hub’s website, where a list of requirements is present to promote and ensure the spirit of entrepreneurship. A list of all current vendors, with product descriptions and contact details, is also available on the website – serving as an informational and promotional space.
What sets the CoCreate Hub apart from other shopping centres is that it is more condensed and dynamic, therefore making it more accessible for micro and small enterprises. As opposed to the traditional hiring of a shop, vendors have the opportunity to use the CoCreate Hub free of cost. This is especially beneficial for service-based businesses, like Mr White’s Barber Shop. While barbers usually have to hire an entire shop and cover the facilities, here a chair and a room can be used for a few hours a week when needed with no additional fees. Having a trading spot in Stellenbosch Central is beneficial as it exposes vendors to a wider market of customers.
Within the CoCreate Hub, there are also training and workshop rooms available for renting – opening the collaboration up to other Stellenbosch residents. You can find out more about the Hub by contacting the Hub Ops Manager, Sue, at hub@ranyaka.co.za. With strong WI-FI, the Hub is also a great place to grab a coffee and a meal from the vendors before sitting down to get work done.
Follow the CoCreate Hub’s Facebook page to see more information about the happenings at the CoCreate Hub, as well as the Ranyaka Community Transformation page to stay connected with the social work being done by the founding Ranyaka Office at the CoCreate Hub.
[1] CoCreate Hub. n.d. Apply to trade. [Online: CoCreate Hub]
*Correction: The CoCreate Hub does not charge rent from any vendors trading from the Hub
