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Following the National Budget Speech, here are insights and reactions of three experts across sectors including personal finance, youth employment/entrepreneurship...
small business
7 min read
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Lula has welcomed this year’s National Budget Speech, which included an announcement that the compulsory VAT registration threshold would increase...
5 min read
The 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) reaffirmed the commitments made by the Government of National Unity to inclusive...
6 min read
In this year's State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Cyril Ramaphosa set out a vision with the potential to...
5 min read
As South Africa prepares for the 2026 National Budget Speech to be delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, Free SA...
5 min read
In 2026, cleaning standards are no longer a facilities issue. They’re a governance issue. For many corporates, what was once...
4 min read
As South Africa prepares for the 2026 National Budget Speech, Lula, a leading SME funder, has renewed its call for...
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Across northern KwaZulu-Natal, women living in and around the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site are emerging as powerful agents...
4 min read
If something’s wrong with your phone, neighbours know to try Nosiviwe Mdingi first. The 40-year-old electrician in Blackheath estimates she’s...
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As South Africa’s e-commerce sector continues to mature, expectations around delivery speed, visibility and affordability are intensifying. With online retail...
3 min read
The City of Cape Town marked the official opening of the Bo-Kaap Market on 14 and 15 February 2026. While...
6 min read
South Africa’s 2026 Budget Speech may deliver important fiscal signals, but for many businesses, its most lasting impact will be...
4 min read
Loving your business isn’t about passion alone – it’s about commitment. For small to medium enterprises (SMEs), the more pressing...
3 min read
South African manufacturing small to medium enterprises (SMEs) continue to operate in an increasingly competitive environment, facing intensified pressure from...
7 min read
The trajectory of South Africa's economy is inextricably linked to the vitality of its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This...
3 min read
Business funding platform Lula has entered into a strategic collaboration with Payfast by Network, enabling Payfast merchants to access fast,...
3 min read
South African SME funding platform Lula has secured R340 million (US$20 million) in local currency funding from FMO, the Dutch...
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With the 2025 matric results now released, a new cohort of young South Africans faces entry into a labour market...
4 min read
Strengthening South Africa’s small to medium sized enterprise (SME) sector through targeted support and innovative funding structures remains vital to...
6 min read
South Africa’s small and medium enterprise (SME) businesses closed off the last half of 2025 with a paradox. On one...
5 min read
South Africa’s township economy is a dense, interdependent web of micro-enterprises, informal traders and township-focused wholesalers that combine to form...
7 min read
Every December, the same migration happens: Johannesburg empties out, the N2 fills up and South Africa's coastal towns brace for...
3 min read
The latest Business Confidence Index results are a crucial positive signal for the retail and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) sectors, which...
5 min read
“For too long, the story of our township economy has been told in two conflicting ways: either as a problem...
9 min read
Every generation inherits a different kind of economy. For my generation in South Africa, we're witnessing something remarkable: the birth...
5 min read
A survey of more than 2 000 small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa shows that two-thirds (67%) plan...
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South Africa’s economy relies heavily on individuals who create their own income streams, often falling outside of formal employment. Digital...
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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, in partnership with the City of Johannesburg and Wakanda Food Accelerator,...
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The South African township economy is defined by its entrepreneurial spirit. Today, this economy is valued at nearly one trillion...
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A harsh truth has emerged for entrepreneurs and South Africa's small, medium & micro enterprises (SMMEs): Artificial intelligence has created...
5 min read
After 16 weeks of nail-biting competition, the 2025 Nedbank Pitch & Polish season came to a thrilling conclusion with a...
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Absa is partnering with HEINEKEN Beverages to transform the landscape for black-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa,...
6 min read
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement has set out bold ambitions for economic growth and social development in...
5 min read
A year of measurable growth, resilience and innovation for South African small to medium enterprises (SMEs) – despite ongoing economic...
5 min read
In South Africa’s startup ecosystem, stories of scale tend to follow a familiar trend: a bold idea, a big pitch...
4 min read
Across South Africa, entrepreneurship pulses in taxi ranks, township streets, rural markets and roadside stalls. It’s in the everyday hustle...
3 min read
SME services provider Lula has welcomed the Finance Minister's firm commitment to fiscal discipline and decisive progress on structural reforms,...
6 min read
In any report on small to medium enterprise (SME) funding, numbers alone can never capture the lived reality of small...
3 min read
November is an important month for business owners and entrepreneurs, with Global Entrepreneurship Week taking place from 17 to 23...
4 min read
Young South African entrepreneurs have an opportunity to transform their businesses and take them to the next level, by applying...
