Latest news with #DSBD
Zawya
19 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Global Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Ministerial opens: Small businesses key constituency in global trade, say South African SME minister, International Trade Centre (ITC) head
The inaugural Global SME Ministerial Meeting opened today, marking a milestone in recognizing small and medium-sized enterprises as a key constituency in global trade. The high-level event is co-hosted by the South African Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), with main events taking place on 23-24 July. The Ministerial was preceded by the Trade Promotion Organizations Leadership Dialogue on 22 July, in which heads of national trade promotion organizations developed strategies to better engage with SME ministers to bring the voice of small business into policymaking. Watch the livestream of the Ministerial high-level opening. More than 700 delegates from more than 60 countries are participating in the Ministerial, including ministers, heads of delegation, heads of national trade promotion organizations, business leaders and entrepreneurs. Ministerial-level delegates convened from across the world, from Bangladesh to Brazil, from Cameroon to Costa Rica, from Senegal to Switzerland, from the United Arab Emirates to the United Kingdom. In her welcome remarks, South African Minister of Small Business Development Stella Tembisa Ndabeni said: 'Let this Ministerial Meeting mark the beginning of a bold new global compact for MSME development; one that expands access to markets, unlocks affordable finance, accelerates digital inclusion, and ensures that women, youth and underserved communities are not spectators, but architects of economic transformation.' She added: 'Let us commit to practical, measurable actions that position MSMEs as central pillars of resilience, innovation and sustainability. Let us work towards a global enabling ecosystem, where no entrepreneur is left behind because of where they live, how much they earn, or who they are.' In her welcome remarks, ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton said: 'Now, this Ministerial is no talk shop. This is no place for posturing or politics. This is a space for us to marshal our collective knowledge and our energy and find solutions across the three areas that will bring the benefits of trade within reach of more SMEs: access to finance, digital transformation and green competitiveness.' Addressing ministerial-level delegates, she said: 'When you go back to your capitals, your ministries, your cabinet meetings and your meetings with heads of state and government, you'll be taking back with you concrete solutions, with the evidence to back them up.' Expected outcomes include the endorsement of a call-to-action in which countries align on the three main areas that will harness the development of SMEs—access to finance, digital transformation and green competitiveness —and develop a roadmap for future Ministerial Meetings to take place every two years, to ensure discussions produce outcomes for countries. See the latest information on the Ministerial on the Global SME Ministerial Meeting landing page. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.
Zawya
08-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Spaza Shop Support Fund campaign goes to Mpumalanga
The national awareness campaign on the Spaza Shop Support Fund is today in Volksrust, Mpumalanga. Township-based entrepreneurs in the area will have an opportunity to engage directly with government and its partners on how to access vital support to grow and sustain their businesses. Led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the DTIC) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), the ongoing campaign forms part of a national drive to raise awareness about available support for spaza shops and township convenience stores. It aims to close information gaps and bring services closer to communities. Following successful stops in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, the Free State, and the Northern Cape, this leg targets entrepreneurs and spaza shop owners in the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Ka Seme Local Municipality and surrounding areas, who are often underserved but play a vital role in the local economy. At the centre of the campaign is the R500m Spaza Shop Support Fund, launched by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau and Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni, in April 2025. The fund is administered by the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (Sedfa) and the National Empowerment Fund (Nef) agencies of the DSBD and the DTIC, respectively. Attendees in Volksrust will receive detailed guidance on how to apply for financial and non-financial assistance, including: - Access to affordable stock through delivery partners. - Infrastructure upgrades such as shelving, refrigeration and security. - Point-of-sale devices. - Business training on compliance, digital literacy, credit health and food safety. - Market access support through partnerships with black industrialists and local manufacturers. 'The initiative aims to boost the competitiveness of township businesses and foster inclusive economic participation by bringing more informal retailers into the broader retail value chain,' the dtic said in a statement. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The Citizen
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Government's Spaza Shop campaign goes to Sedibeng
The Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng will be the next stop in the national campaign to create awareness about the Spaza Shop Support Fund. This as an interactive session is set to take place at the City Hall, in the Vereeniging Central Business District, on Friday. This leg of the campaign will offer spaza shop owners and township-based convenience store operators critical information on how to apply for both financial and non-financial support under the R500-million fund that was launched by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni in April. The fund is aimed at increasing the participation of South African owned spaza shops in the townships and rural areas retail trade sector. The national campaign, spearheaded by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), follows successful engagements held in KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. At these events, township-based entrepreneurs gathered in large numbers to learn how they can access support from the fund. The initiative is implemented in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) which are agencies of the DSBD and the dtic, respectively. These entities are responsible for administering the fund. The campaign aims to bolster the township economy by supporting South African-owned spaza shops and other township convenience stores through: • Access to affordable stock via delivery channel partners, • Infrastructure upgrades including shelving, refrigeration and security, Point of Sale devices, • Training programmes covering business skills, digital literacy, compliance, credit health and food safety, and partnerships with local manufacturers, black industrialists and wholesalers to improve supply chain inclusion. 'These efforts are geared toward increasing the competitiveness of township businesses and ensuring they play a significant role in the broader retail sector. 'The campaign also promotes bulk buying and the use of locally produced goods, helping spaza shops lower operating costs while improving access to quality products,' the dtic and the DSBD said in a joint statement on Wednesday. Friday's session is expected to get underway at 9am. – At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Zawya
05-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Spaza Shop Support Fund information session to be held in Limpopo
Limpopo spaza shop owners will get an opportunity to learn more about how they can access financial and non-financial support from the Spaza Shop Support Fund at an interactive session at the George Phadagi Town Hall, in Thohoyandou, on Friday. The session is part of a countrywide campaign aimed at creating awareness about the Spaza Shop Support Fund. The campaign, which began in KwaZulu-Natal last month, is hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (the Dtic) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSDB). The R500m fund was launched by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, and the Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, in Soweto, on 8 April 2025. The national education and awareness campaign is being held in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), the agencies of the DSBD and the Dtic, respectively, which will be responsible for administering the fund. The interactive session with spaza owners in the Vhembe District Municipality will be an opportunity to learn more about how to apply for the fund and which requirements will they be expected to comply with. According to Minister Tau, government is taking a concrete step to formalise and empower the informal sector with the fund. Tau said supporting spaza shops would enable entrepreneurs, often women and young people, to participate fully in the economic process. 'These small businesses generate employment, drive local commerce, and channel much-needed income into communities that have long been underserved. Studies show that small businesses account for a significant portion of job creation in South Africa. 'By providing spaza shop owners with financial support, infrastructure upgrades, and essential business training, we are setting the stage for sustainable job creation,' Tau said. Minister Ndabeni said the role played by Sedfa and NEF was truly appreciated and that the department believed this fund would go a long way in assisting shop owners that are registered and have operating permits. 'Our partnership ensures that spaza shop owners are not only funded but are also trained, mentored, and integrated into reliable supply chains. This is about building long-term sustainability for township retail,' Ndabeni said. The aim of the fund is to support South African-owned township community convenience shops, including spaza shops, to increase their participation in the townships and rural areas' retail trade sector and to provide critical financial and non-financial support to township businesses, including community convenience stores and spaza shops. The fund also provides various types of support including the initial purchase of stock via delivery channel partners, upgrading of building infrastructure, systems, refrigeration, shelving and security, as well as training programmes which includes point of sale devices, business skills, digital literacy, credit health, food safety, business compliance. The fund also seeks to bolster the broader supply chain by fostering partnerships with local manufacturers, black industrialists and wholesalers. Through bulk purchasing arrangements and the promotion of locally produced goods, spaza shops will benefit from reduced costs and increased access to quality products.
IOL News
03-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Spaza shop fund under fire: Questions over R500m initiative
The R500m Fund, launched to bolster South African-owned spaza shops in townships and rural areas with stock, infrastructure upgrades, and training, has come under intense scrutiny. Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers A VIRTUAL briefing by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) on the progress of the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund descended into chaos last week, with MPs from across the political spectrum lambasting officials for 'lacklustre' responses, unresolved corruption risks, and a controversial 'middlemen' supply model that critics warned could hijack the initiative. The Fund, launched to bolster South African-owned spaza shops in townships and rural areas with stock, infrastructure upgrades, and training, was under intense scrutiny. Only 3 000 to 5 000 applications have been received — a fraction of the estimated 200 000 spaza shops nationwide — raising concerns about exclusion, bureaucratic hurdles, and whether foreign-owned shops were being sidelined. The most explosive revelations centred around the Fund's reliance on three unnamed Delivery Channel Partners (DCPs), private wholesalers tasked with supplying spaza shops. Opposition MPs accused the state of creating a 'monopoly' for connected insiders. 'Why are these DCPs not listed in the presentation? Who are they? What are their markups? This is a middlemen scheme!' charged the DA's Nico Pienaar, demanding the Gazette records detailing their selection. FF+'s Henk van den Berg echoed concerns: 'Do spaza shops have to buy from these DCPs? Who pays them, the Fund or the shop owners?' DSBD Deputy Director-General Qinisile Delwa sidestepped specifics, stating only that DCPs were 'vital intermediaries'. Lwandiso Makupula from the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (Sefda) later admitted that 58% of spaza shops are Somali-owned and 25% Ethiopian-owned, leaving just 8% eligible for the Fund. But MPs were unmoved. 'This is a recipe for fronting. Cartels will use locals as fronts to access funds,' warned the ANC's Peter Mabilo. Pienaar slammed the Fund's 'reckless' exemption of spaza shops from immediate Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and tax registration, calling it a 'free pass for abuse'. 'We're bleeding taxpayers, yet here's a state fund allowing six months' grace before registration. This is anti-formalisation and anti-growth,' he said. DSBD offered no justification, deepening suspicions of lax oversight. With Gauteng dominating applications, rural provinces risk being left behind. 'Your roadshows are failing. Rural spaza shops are lifelines, why aren't they prioritised?' asked chairperson Sonja Boshoff (DA). The ANC's Moses Modise blasted the DSBD's 'pathetic' outreach: 'Where are the community radio ads? The local newspaper campaigns?' Municipal licensing emerged as another crisis point. Many townships lacked digital systems, leaving spaza shops in limbo. 'Some municipalities don't even have licensing capacity. Is DSBD engaging the South African Local Government Association (Salga)?' Boshoff pressed. Delwa conceded that only the Northern Cape was piloting e-licensing, while KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape lead. Despite Makupula's assurance that 'misused grants convert to loans', MPs remained sceptical. 'Where are the anti-corruption measures? Who monitors officials?' Boshoff asked. The MK Party's Sarah Mokoena highlighted registration chaos: 'The online system crashes constantly. Shop owners think they're registered when they're not.'
