The fund, aimed at increasing the participation of South African-owned spaza shops in the townships and rural areas retail trade sector, was launched last month.
“This is moving in a slow pace due to all the parties that are involved in coordinating the work, which includes inspections, verification of citizenship as well as site and health inspections.
“The fund will assist shop owners that met the deadline for the registration of an operating permit,” Minister of Small Business Development Stella Tembisa Ndabeni said during a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, 29 May.
It offers funding of up to R300,000 per shop through a combination of grants and low-interest loans.
In addition, it allocates funding specifically for initial stock purchases, infrastructure improvements, business development tools, and Point of Sale (POS) system adoption.
The fund is being administered by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (Sefda).
Through the fund, shop owners will be provided with assistance in meeting hygiene and regulatory standards to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality products.
Marking the countdown to the first-ever Global Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting to be hosted by the South African government and the United Nations Small Business Agency in Johannesburg, the Minister shared the vision and expected outcomes of the Ministerial meeting.
Taking place from 22-24 July 2025, the Ministerial Meeting will serve as a dedicated platform for ministers and officials responsible for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) to share strategic insights, shape future policies, and foster global consensus on the small business agenda.
Countries from around the world have confirmed their participation, including Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Indonesia and Switzerland, among others. Nearly 50 countries are expected to be at the event.
“As a country, through the Department of Small Business Development, we are steadfast in our commitment to create a more enabling legislative and policy environment that empowers small businesses to grow, scale up, and compete on the global stage.
“In addition, we will galvanize a call-to-action to influence dialogues and decisions at the Group Twenty (G20) Summit under South Africa’s leadership. We are unequivocal that the G20 needs a sharper MSME focus with its own dedicated Working Group, and we will use this Global Ministerial to bolster this position.
“We will also use this Global Ministerial to develop and activate strong partnerships across governments, multilateral institutions, and businesses. We do not want a talk- shop. We will emerge with practical initiatives that strengthen the global MSME support eco-system, as well as country-level partnerships that translate policy into action,” the Minister said.
The Department of Small Business Development will also be hosting the Startup20 Task Force planning sessions in the days preceding the Ministerial.
This will provide the opportunity for Task Force leaders to share thinking with global MSME leaders beyond the G20.
“The challenges that small businesses face is vast and cannot be tackled by any one nation alone. Thus, I passionately urge governments, international agencies, development partners, and the private sector to join us in strengthening MSME ecosystems.
“Let us deepen our regional and global cooperation, share knowledge, and uplift MSMEs especially those led by women, youth, and persons with disabilities,” the Minister said.
South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025 under the theme: Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.
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