Entertainment businesses are slowly recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is positively impacting entrepreneurs who rely on these businesses to thrive.
An informal traders’ association says trading licences are still an urgent issue that to be addressed. But they indicate that they’re seeing improvements in their fortunes since the full reopening of entertainment centres.
The entertainment industry was among the worst hit sectors by the impacts of COVID-19. Entertainment centres such as the stadiums had to close down, while having to continue to with maintenance. Stadium Management South Africa says without the commercial businesses, things went south with salaries having to be cut by as much as 80%.
Stadium Management CEO, Bertie Grobbelaar, says they are starting to see some recovery.”We are close to being back to normal. There’s been a lot of enquiries, the PSL season started again as you saw last week. So we’ve got spectators back at full capacity. So we’re excited about what the new season hols for us and there’s been a lot of enquiries for other commercial events as well,” says Grobbelaar.
Impact on informal traders
One informal trader outside Ellis Park stadium says things are almost back to normal as the stadiums have started operating again.
“There’s a difference because there are people who are busy at the stadium so they are able to support my business, so there is a difference,” says trader Issac Khoza.Informal Traders’ Association, on the other hand, says the closure of the stadiums was detrimental to informal businesses. It says many could not recover from the effects of the lockdown restrictions.
“The business is fine. It’s coming even as you saw. Normally it depends to the outcome or to the people who are attending the event. So far, the first two games that they went to the stadium and tried to sell they didn’t come back with anything so the business was doing very well,” says Informal Traders Association secretary, Brian Phaaloh.
As the entertainment industry slowly makes its way to recovery, and as bookings increase and fans take part in various activities. Informal traders say they are excited as this means that things will start looking up for them too.
