Addis Ababa: South Africa is set to host the first-ever Global Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting, a governmental official announced on Thursday. Minister of Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni said in a media briefing that South Africa will galvanize a call-to-action to influence dialogues and decisions at the G20 (Group of 20) Summit under South Africa’s leadership.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the minister emphasized the need for the G20 to incorporate a sharper focus on MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) with its own dedicated Working Group. She stated that the Global Ministerial Meeting would be used to bolster this position. Scheduled from July 22 to 24 in Johannesburg, the meeting aims to amplify the voices and concerns of small and medium businesses.
The minister stressed that practical solutions to enhance the small and medium business support ecosystem would emerge from the gathering. One of the priorities highlighted by Ndabeni is access to capital
, along with trade and market access issues, as global value chains are being reconfigured with countries shifting toward heightened levels of trade protectionism.
She pointed out that small businesses play a critical role in economic development and job creation worldwide, representing 90 percent of all enterprises and providing two-thirds of jobs globally. The minister added that the meeting would serve as a dedicated platform for ministers and officials responsible for MSMEs to share strategic insights, shape future policies, and foster global consensus on the small business agenda.