House Chairperson, the ACDP acknowledges that South Africa stands at a crossroads. In our townships and villages, millions of resilient citizens are not asking for handouts, but for opportunity. If we are serious about inclusive growth, we must accelerate support for small enterprises, co-operatives and entrepreneurs through meaningful financial inclusion, reliable infrastructure, and sensible regulatory relief.
The ACDP recognises small businesses as the backbone of any thriving economy. Yet, in our communities, they are too often constrained by limited access to capital, high compliance costs and inadequate basic services. Financial inclusion must go beyond rhetoric. It requires expanding access to affordable credit, strengthening community banking models and supporting innovative financial instruments that reach informal traders and startups. When capital flows to the grassroots, enterprise flourishes.
The ACDP has consistently called for infrastructure maintenance and development. This is critical, as no business can grow without consistent water, electricity, safe transport networks and digital connectivity. Investing in townships and rural infrastructure is not a social expense; it is an economic multiplier. It unlocks productivity, reduces costs and connects entrepreneurs to markets.
We must also confront the regulatory burden that stifles small enterprises. Simplified compliance frameworks and reduced red tape and targeted tax incentives can unleash entrepreneurship at scale.
The ACDP believes that by creating an enabling environment where compliance supports growth rather than suppresses it, this is a must. However, support for small enterprises must be part of a broader economic shift. South Africa cannot continue exporting raw materials, while importing finished goods at a higher cost. Beneficiation is essential. It creates economies of scale. By processing our minerals and resources locally, we can build industries, create jobs and retain value within our economy. This requires a deliberate structural transformation, one that aligns industrial policy, trade policy, and skills development.
Supporting small businesses must go hand in hand with investing in skills training, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship education. This is the key to addressing unemployment, poverty and inequality in South Africa, because a capable workforce is the engine of sustainable growth.
As Kingdom builders, the ACDP believes that support for small enterprises is not optional; it is a must, and it is urgent. And through financial inclusion, infrastructure development, regulatory reform and a bold economic policy shift towards beneficiation and meaningful structural change, it is possible to build an economy that works for all South Africans, including small businesses.
I thank you.
