Husain Mohamed – 01/07/2020

Former Johannesburg mayor and leader of The People’s Dialogue Herman Mashaba says small business owners contribute to the blueprint to grow the economy. He was speaking after a meeting held with owners and representatives of small and medium sized businesses across South Africa.

Small business owners spoke of difficulties they experience in registration, cost of banking, access to finance, meeting the requirements for tendering and the level of red-tape that hinders their operations.

Mashaba says the discussion revealed what he knew to be true; that small businesses are massively under-supported in South Africa and contribute less than they should to our economy and job creation as a result of restrictive policies that hinder rather than help.

Speaking to Radio Islam Mashaba says many social issues are impacting small businesses.

“There’s no way you can run a business when small businesses are hit by crime in a manner in which we are seeing. How can you run a business in a society that is so dysfunctional with drugs and other issues like it?”

Mashaba adds that most business owners he spoke to have not been able to access Governments COVID-19 financial support packages.

“Personally, I have not come across any single person who has been able to successfully access this funding. Our small business people are out there on their own.”

The engagement produced the starting point of The Peoples Dialogues plans to rescue and grow the small business sector in South Africa.

Listen to the full interview with Herman Mashaba here: