Pretoria: The government has disbursed R6 million from the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF) to eligible spaza shops and other food-handling outlets. The fund, which aims to boost the participation of South African-owned spaza shops in township and rural retail trade, was launched last month.
According to South African Government News Agency, the disbursement has been slow due to the coordination required among various parties, including inspections, verification of citizenship, and site and health inspections. Minister of Small Business Development Stella Tembisa Ndabeni stated during a media briefing in Pretoria that the fund will assist shop owners who met the registration deadline for an operating permit. The fund provides up to R300,000 per shop through a combination of grants and low-interest loans, specifically for initial stock purchases, infrastructure improvements, business development tools, and Point of Sale (POS) system adoption.
The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEFDA) administer the fund, ensuring shop owners meet hygiene and regulatory standards for providing safe, high-quality products. The announcement aligns with the countdown to the first Global Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting, to be hosted by the South African government and the United Nations Small Business Agency in Johannesburg from July 22 to July 24, 2025.
Countries such as Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, India, Indonesia, and Switzerland have confirmed participation in the event, with nearly 50 countries expected. The Minister emphasized South Africa’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for small businesses to grow and compete globally. The Global Ministerial will serve as a platform for ministers and officials to share insights, shape policies, and foster global consensus on the small business agenda.
Minister Ndabeni highlighted the importance of a dedicated MSME focus at the Group Twenty (G20) Summit under South Africa’s leadership. The Global Ministerial will develop strong partnerships across governments, multilateral institutions, and businesses, aiming to strengthen the global MSME support ecosystem and translate policy into action.
In addition, the Department of Small Business Development will host the Startup20 Task Force planning sessions preceding the Ministerial, allowing Task Force leaders to share insights with global MSME leaders beyond the G20. The Minister urged governments, international agencies, development partners, and the private sector to strengthen MSME ecosystems, emphasizing cooperation to uplift MSMEs, particularly those led by women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency from December 1, 2024, to November 30, 2025, under the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.”