CDE Covid19 series publication

  • Six postgraduate students at UCT (Zak Essa, Kiren Rutsch, Catherine Torrington, Georgina Borros, Ryan Anderson, Nuvika Pillay) and entrepreneurs from Philippi, Sandiswa Gwele and Grace Dila who work with NPO Phaphama SEDI have set out what they believe to be better solutions to support entrepreneurs in townships during the current crisis.
  • There are over five million micro and small businesses in South Africa, many of which are located in the informal sector.
  • Covid-19 has already had a devastating impact on small business and while both the public and private sectors have implemented various interventions to ease the blow, there are gaps in current solutions.
  • The report COVID-19: The Impact on Small Businesses and Gaps in Current Solutions raises important national issues. It was compiled after 233 entrepreneurs from six provinces across 17 industries were surveyed to determine how COVID-19 is affecting their business. It ends with some practical proposals for action.