Cape Town: The City Council has given the go-ahead command for the Business Support Policy that aims to address the evolving needs of entrepreneurs and small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) in Cape Town. This approval of the policy came after the public participation process undertaken between June 15 and July 15, 2026.
The City of Cape Town received over 160 comments from a range of stakeholders that includes residents, business owners, industry representatives, incubators, government departments, NGOs, chambers of commerce, property sector stakeholders and economic development practitioners.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth and Tourism – Alderman James Vos stated that across South Africa, SMMEs account for over 40% of employment in the formal sector. This has been maintained well below the global average, close to 70%.
It created such conditions for small businesses to survive and expand that is critical to solve the unemployment crisis of the country. The Business Support Policy will be a tool in the city government’s efforts to boost emerging and existing enterprises.
The new policy is a revision of the previous document that was approved in 2018. It provided the framework for the City’s SMMEs development approach which included the establishment of the Business Hub.
Among the key deliverables of the policy are:
- Expanded business support services which includes further skills development initiatives
- Improved access to the places where appropriate creation of business-enablement infrastructure is initiated
- Inclusive and spatial economic development across the city
- Improved support for partnerships and ecosystem coordination
- Workforce development
Information can be gained on the City’s business support services:
- Enterprise and Investment
- City of Cape Town
- Cape Town Entrepreneurship Academy
Alderman James Vos added that in 2026, over 5800 businesses participated in programmes that were overseen by the Hub. This included procurement readiness, supplier development, tender training, pricing and marketing support, export readiness and market access.
Vos said that this kind of constant engagement with entrepreneurs has helped the City of Cape Town team to refine this policy with time.