Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams leads small business and cooperative roadshow to unlock opportunities

The National Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and its agencies, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (sefa) together with North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT) and affected municipalities embarked on a Ministerial roadshows in Moretele, Taung and Matlosana Local Municipalities, respectively, targeting SMMEs and Cooperatives. The roadshows was held under the theme" unlocking opportunities for SMMEs and Co-operatives for economic growth and job creation".

The three-day roadshow which was led by Minister for Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Deputy Minister Sidumo Dlamini, and MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi was aimed at showcasing the work of government and its agencies and ensuring the desired impact, which can only be achieved by engaging with the business people, to hear what will best suit their enterprises to grow, resolve their challenges, and solicit inputs to be integrated during the reviewing of small business and cooperative support legislations.

In her keynote address, Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams highlighted that the President has announced there is a need to amend the current Small Business Act to accommodate the current environment. "We will review these legislations after having interacted and engaged with SMMEs, cooperatives, and the private sector to reduce the red tape and create a conducive business environment to address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality amongst our communities. We will also review the unnecessary regulatory costs and make business requirements easier for small business operations", said the Minister.

Of particular importance to Minister Ndabeni Abrahams is the review of the Small Business Act - alongside a broader review of legislation that affects SMMEs, to reduce the regulatory burden on informal businesses. This, along with increasing access to funding for more SMMES across sectors, will allow small businesses to grow and create much-needed jobs. The department is also in the process of concluding the National Integrated Small Enterprise Development Master Plan, which seeks to enhance efforts towards practical interventions towards the promotion of SMMES to create jobs and contribute to the GDP.

According to MEC Mosenogi, the roadshow forms part of undisputable affirmation from this year's State of Nation Address (SONA) that the private sector drives job creation. She further stressed that government alone won't be able to create jobs, as such, the roadshows are devoted to listing the measures already taken and still to be implemented to create the environment that will enable small businesses to emerge, grow, to access new markets, create new products and necessary jobs needed across all sectors of the economy.

Addressing business people at Mmabana, in Greater Taung Local Municipality, MEC Mosenogi expressed her dissatisfaction that out of 2000 applications for the Empowerment Fund in all the districts in the province, only 18 applications are from Greater Taung. She further added that it is disturbing to note that some business people around the Taung area do not comply with relevant legislations, as such they cannot apply for funding.

"I am concerned that the fund has not reached Taung as the poorest municipality in the province, where the rate of unemployment is very high. This indicates that the department and funding agencies need to intensify their efforts of creating awareness on opportunities available for small businesses and cooperatives". The MEC further indicated that the department will re-advertise call for applications for funding to allow more applicants especially in rural areas.

"As a small business you need to register your business and comply with relevant legislative prescripts to be able to apply for funding. I have noticed that most of our SMMEs and Cooperatives in the province did not apply for the National Business Relief Fund, and this is due to non-compliance. As a department we will continue to implement programmes that encourages compliances for the growth and development of our small businesses and cooperatives", said MEC Mosenogi.

Ahead of the roadshows, the delegation started with a project visits which ended with the official opening of Itireleng Learning and Manufacturing Hub in Matlosana Local Municipality at Orkney. The Hub is a one-stop skills development and manufacturing center that specializes in mining, engineering, and related training, focusing on youth, women, and mining communities at large.

For media enquiries please contact:
Departmental Spokesperson Mr Jerry Matebesi
Cell: 072 333 0325
E-mail: [email protected](link sends e-mail)

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