Small Business Development Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says her department has received over 2000 applications from small businesses for financial relief since the launch of the system.
Ntshavheni says 81 000 Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises have registered on her department’s database for assistance during the lockdown period which has serious implications on small businesses.
By 9h00 am this morning, The Department of Small Business Development has recorded a total of 81 000 SMMEs who have registered on the https://t.co/OGk0DMfduO database since the opening of the registration . However, this does not translate into application for funding
— Department of Small Business Development (@DSBD_SA) April 3, 2020
She was speaking in Pretoria during a media briefing of the Economic Cluster on the revised lockdown regulations on economic measures.
Relief for spaza shops
Meanwhile, Minister Ntshavheni says the date for spaza shops to apply for financial relief due to the financial impact of the national lockdown will be announced next week.
In the following week, The Department of Small Business Development will announce the date of opening of applications for Spaza shops support in an effort to ease the burden of generating an income during this lockdown #Covid19inSA #LockdownSA
— Department of Small Business Development (@DSBD_SA) April 3, 2020
She says government is taking stock of the difficulties that small businesses are experiencing during the application process.
Ntshaveni says the delay in spaza shop applications will allow the department to address some of the problems identified in the first round of applications.
In the video below, the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on small businesses:
