Tag: Alan Shannon

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa continue to face a business landscape that is simultaneously full of challenges and brimming with opportunities. A still-struggling economy, rising costs, high unemployment figures and an uncertain political future have created a business backdrop against which only the most resilient and innovative businesses will thrive.

The untapped potential of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) in the country is astounding. However, the red tape placed on them is even more startling. In South Africa we wouldn’t stand for our national teams playing with their hands tied behind their back.

Having a good business idea, nurturing it, and putting it into practice is one of the critical steps on the journey to entrepreneurship. Running a successful business, even during a pandemic, is the ultimate goal for all entrepreneurs.

The global economic landscape has undergone a seismic shift since the arrival of COVID-19 over a year ago. However, while the pandemic caused significant business challenges, it also triggered and accelerated many innovations as organisations adapted to change, often simply to survive.

Over the past decade, South Africa has seen a sharp increase in the number of people earning an income outside of formal employment. For some, the need for a self-generated income arose from falling victim to the country’s steadily rising unemployment figures.

Most small and medium businesses in South Africa had a very difficult 2020 financial year, with many, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors, having to close their doors. Those that survived the pandemic now find themselves having to rebuild – a task made more difficult by a stunted economic environment, with low levels of consumer discretionary income.