This is TIPS’s third publication on the State of Small Business in South Africa which is a periodic special edition of our Real Economy Bulletin. The series provides baseline data on the number of small businesses and their contribution to the economy, as well as their distribution by industry and location, ownership by race, gender and age, investment and profitability. The bulletin first looks at the number of small business, both formal and informal, and the rate of growth. The figures show how the legacy of apartheid has left the country lagging behind other upper middle-income countries, which is a…

This edition of The Real Economy Bulletin is the third edition of the State of Small Business published by TIPS. It reviews trends in small business post COVID-19, looking at small business by the numbers and the pace of recovery; employment and earnings; contribution to the GDP; small business by sector; profitability and earnings; assets and liabilities; education levels; ownership by race and gender; and the geography of small business Download a copy of read online

Small business is often seen as a key potential driver of job creation, equality and innovation in South Africa. The National Development Plan argues that small business can open new opportunities to create jobs as well as be a route to economic empowerment. In manufacturing, small business accounts for only a tenth of revenue, but a fifth of employment. Small business provides 55% of formal employment and the available evidence shows virtually no increase in the number of small businesses since 2008, and only relatively slow employment growth. South Africa continues to have low levels of small business compared to…