| Overview : The White Paper on a National Strategy for the development and promotion of small business in South Africa states: “The stimulation of small, medium and micro enterprises must be seen as part of an integrated strategy to take Gauteng’s economy onto a higher road – one which is diversified, productivity enhanced, investment is stimulated and entrepreneurship flourishes” (Ntsika, 2017). The National Development Plan (NDP) envisages that by 2030, 90% of the 11 million jobs to be created will be through small to medium enterprises, supported by government. The Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), through the Township Economic Revitalisation (TER) strategy has identified entrepreneurship as a pathway towards accelerated and sustainable shared growth for Gauteng as a means of employment generation and creating sustainable livelihoodsThe Gauteng Provincial Government has established a sound policy platform for SMME growth and development and this includes broad, overarching strategies such as the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR), Broad‐Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), the Accelerated and Shared Growth initiative for South Africa (ASGISA), and the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA), the National Skills Development Strategy and the National Local Economic Development Framework which established an important foundation for SMME developmentConsequently, the GDED will be hosting the inaugural Provincial SMME Summit to establish a vibrant SMME sector that can effectively respond to the triple challenge of unemployment, job creation and poverty alleviation and ultimately generating higher production volumes. Purpose of Summit
The purpose of the summit is to create a platform for SMMEs within various sectors to dialogue and interface with corporates through B2B engagements - accelerate the development and empowerment of SMMEs. In addition, the inaugural SMME Provincial summit represents an important trajectory for economic and social participation and upward mobility, by allowing disadvantaged or marginalised groups, including young people, women, ethnic minorities and the disabled, to participate in the economy. |
