SMMEs key in job creation and economic growth
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mzwandile Masina says Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME’s) are significant drivers of job creation and economic growth. Deputy Minister was speaking at the Africa Sourcing and Enterprise Summit hosted in Cape Town.
The Africa Sourcing and Enterprise Summit has been formed to help stimulate discussion for a global programme that will drive enterprise development culture in governments, businesses and societies in general with the aim to inspire effective development and job creation.
According to Masina, in order for SMMEs to grow into sustainable businesses, large enterprises need to invest in their growth. He said the private sector and government need to continue their ongoing dialogue on how we can collectively grow and transform the South African economy.
“Transformation in South Africa is very critical especially in the context of the continent. It is very important to have majority of our people playing a major role in ensuring that many previously disadvantaged people are included in the mainstream economy,” said Masina.
Masina called upon the private sector, government and other key institutions to ensure that the country doesn’t only speak empowerment for the sake of speaking empowerment. He added that empowerment must be promoted in presentation, policy formulation and must be articulated in order to ensure that South Africa is moving forward.
“If we don’t speak true empowerment, in our case we will be missing a point to an extent that we will not be able to control those in the majority, poor and vulnerable,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, the Minister of Trade and Industry in Ghana Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the continent need a Pan African Hub System that will see an aggregation of national single windows for trade and investment, and also an Ecommerce platform for the trading of goods, services and provision of trade and investment intelligence.
He also said for any business to grow MSMEs needs to exploit advent of Information and Communications Technology to build capacity within the Intra-African Trade within the global market.
“The promotion of transborder business formation, free movement of people and goods, and lifelong education and support to improve firm-level capacity for MSMEs will assist in removing the barriers faced by businesses in the continent,” said Spio-Garbrah.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe-Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
