Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - Small businesses cannot be emerging forever, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Elizabeth Thabethe said on Thursday.
"While government is supporting you as small businesses, you need to be able to sustain your businesses, grow them, and employ more people. You cannot be emerging forever,” she said at a gala dinner hosted in her honour by SMMEs, who worked with her during her term in office..
South Africa has made progress in transforming small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and affording them the opportunity to contribute to the economy, she said.
Thabethe pledged her continuous dedication to transforming SMMEs and broadening participation in the South African economy.
“South Africa is now a better place to invest in, do business and for small businesses to flourish," she said.
"However, there is still a lot to be done. The challenges are still there and are addressable when we work together.”
Thabethe encouraged the SMMEs to further take advantage of the opportunities that government has provided to support them.
The CEO and founder of Unique Holding, Lebogang Moepeng, who previously participated in the Department of Trade and Industry's investment trade initiatives led by Thabethe, said her leadership had opened doors for his company in Nigeria and other African countries.
The dinner was also hosted to thank the dti for affording a number of youth-based small businesses opportunities to go all over the world to build international relations and create platforms for SMMEs to expand their businesses.
"While government is supporting you as small businesses, you need to be able to sustain your businesses, grow them, and employ more people. You cannot be emerging forever,” she said at a gala dinner hosted in her honour by SMMEs, who worked with her during her term in office..
South Africa has made progress in transforming small medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and affording them the opportunity to contribute to the economy, she said.
Thabethe pledged her continuous dedication to transforming SMMEs and broadening participation in the South African economy.
“South Africa is now a better place to invest in, do business and for small businesses to flourish," she said.
"However, there is still a lot to be done. The challenges are still there and are addressable when we work together.”
Thabethe encouraged the SMMEs to further take advantage of the opportunities that government has provided to support them.
The CEO and founder of Unique Holding, Lebogang Moepeng, who previously participated in the Department of Trade and Industry's investment trade initiatives led by Thabethe, said her leadership had opened doors for his company in Nigeria and other African countries.
The dinner was also hosted to thank the dti for affording a number of youth-based small businesses opportunities to go all over the world to build international relations and create platforms for SMMEs to expand their businesses.
