Commercial backyard users in South Africa may include small-scale retail, service, and/or manufacturing businesses, as well as metalworking, welding, and woodworking industries This paper focuses on metalworkers and welders, who in this study are referred to as small-scale manufacturers of aluminium and steel products. It is apparent that the Small Manufacturing Enterprises (SMEs) are in a well-resourced position to positive contributor to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the country and assist the government in solving some of the unemployment issues and skills development within the country. With those results there is still a lack of resources and knowledge that is needed to assist the SMEs to upscale, grow and be competitive within the sector of the industry. There is a need and desperate intervention of the government and its policy development. If these interventions are properly developed and executed with clear implementation strategies, the SMEs will greatly improve the GDP’s growth for the country. The objective of this study is to investigate and assess the contribution and effectiveness of the small-scale manufacturing of aluminium and steel products into the mainstream economy. Focusing specifically on scalability of the business, transference of skills/ development of skills and the contribution to job creation/ employability. Data was collected through questionnaires from registered and unregistered small-scale manufacturers of aluminium and steel products, situated in the Gauteng City Region (GCR). It was extracted and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The key findings suggest that small-scale manufacturing of aluminium and steel products could have a substantial impact on the local economic development, if included in the mainstream economy. Government needs to intervene and assist these small-scale manufacturers of aluminium and steel products and include them in the economic value chain. These entrepreneurs have the potential to uplift the township economy as they hire unskilled employees and teach them a skill. Additionally, these small-scale manufacturers of aluminium and steel products further provide the much-needed product and service of security in homes.