Small and micro-businesses play a critical role in ensuring economic survival of millions of families in South Africa. According to some estimates, 1.8 million mostly unregistered micro and small businesses generate economic activity worth 750 billion rands (about 42 billion US dollars) [1].

Despite these impressive numbers, small businesses in South Africa typically lack financial and non-financial support to grow and employ more people. In this context, there is a significant role for Enterprise Development (ED) organisations to provide business development services (BDS) and general support to informal entrepreneurs.

“Business consultancy” is a BDS outfit based in  Philippi, one of Cape Town’s toughest townships, assisting clients with a whole range of services such as registration, tax returns, bookkeeping and business strategy. It was founded by enterprise development expert Bukhosi Ngalimane in 2019, after the corporate-funded organisation he originally worked for, The Business Place (later Business Activator), shut down due to a lack of funds.

“My decision to enter this field wasn’t just about seizing an opportunity - I genuinely wanted to help the people who had been left without support when the previous organisation shut down”, Bukhosi explains.

Business Consultancy faces a number of challenges due to the environment it operates in. Client needs are often once-off and sporadic, and many don’t have the means to pay for regular services. Furthermore, the unsafe surroundings make Bukhosi’s work particularly difficult.

In order to keep growing, Business Consultancy needs to focus on some key areas: These include internal management processes, efficient marketing and more advanced software specifically designed for bookkeeping and Customer Relationship Management tools – all these items would help Business Consultancy to generate business more efficiently and deliver its services more professionally.

In the next few years, Bukhosi wants to see his business expand and hire additional employees, creating a more stable and professional operation.

[1] https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/773674/south-africas-hidden-economy-of-r750-billion-with-no-taxes