Small business organisations say the Department of Small Business and Development needs stability and consistency. Their comments follow the reshuffling of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet which saw former Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams appointed as the new minister for the Small Business Development Department.
Small business groups say they expect Ndabeni-Abrahams to focus on meeting the government’s existing target of supporting 15 000 small businesses by 2024.
Risuna Maluleke of the Youth African Entrepreneurs Institute says, “KPIs should stand as they are. That we need to see the development of start-ups owned by young people because in terms of the document of the KPI is that former minister of small business has already signed, the plan is to deliver at lease 15 000 small businesses owned by young people on an annual basis,” says Risuna Maluleke.
Board Chairman of Mentors Without Borders, Ndzavi Derrick says the minister should endeavour to ensure that opportunities are created for small businesses.
“I believe the president going forward should take into consideration such changes so that there can be stability. Otherwise, the ministry will be seen as more of welfare for small businesses where it talks about grants and loans without necessarily seeing any impact in terms of trade opportunities, connecting small businesses to opportunities and building hubs in the townships and in the rural areas where small businesses can trade,” says Ndzavi Derrick.
Founder of the Lora Centre for Innovation, Roche Mamabolo, says the minister can use the expertise that she acquired from the Communications Department to help improve the operational capacity of small businesses.
“That experience and exposure and some of the resolutions that were taken in there, she should be able to leverage on those and assist small businesses in how they can use the opportunities that were brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Things like data costs that small businesses are complaining about that, it’s hampering their embracing of the digital migration,” explains Roche Mamabolo.
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