Empowering SMMEs: Fuelling Growth Through Human Capital

Highlights

• SMMEs employ up to 60% of SA’s workforce and drive inclusive economic growth.
• Kagiso Trust is backing entrepreneurs in agriculture and property.
• Investing in people and skills is key to unlocking long-term transformation.

Key Highlights

Unemployment Debate vs. Opportunity

While the accuracy of unemployment statistics is contested, the informal economy’s growth signals massive untapped potential in micro and small businesses.

Kagiso Trust’s Focus

Celebrating 40 years of impact, Kagiso Trust prioritises investment in entrepreneurs, focusing on undertransformed sectors like agriculture and property.

Agricultural Investment via Tyala Impact Fund

• Uses a farmer aggregator model to unite small-scale farmers.
• Offers technical support, market access, and plans to launch an agricultural academy to develop future black agripreneurs.
• Encourages youth participation in agriculture through enterprise development.

Property Empowerment with PROPreneurX

• In partnership with TUHF and UCT, Kagiso Trust offers specialised training in property ownership and management.
• Aims to empower disadvantaged community organisations with asset-building skills.
• Entrepreneurs also gain access to credit facilities to enter the residential rental property space.

SMME Sector’s Economic Value

SMMEs represent 50 - 60% of employment and around 34% of South Africa’s GDP, making them vital to economic recovery and transformation.

• Global Relevance
  This aligns with MSMEs Day themes at the UN, calling for improved finance, technology, and market access for small businesses.
• Human Capital = Economic Growth
  CEO Mankodi Moitse affirms that the Trust’s core belief is that the best investment is in people and their potential.

Way Forward

As Kagiso Trust marks 40 years of impact, its approach remains clear: empower people, unlock potential, and create sustainable change.

By focusing on skill-building, capital access, and targeted sector support, Kagiso Trust is proving that the future of South Africa’s economy lies not just in numbers, but in nurturing human capacity.

The way forward? Invest in entrepreneurs. Empower communities. And build an economy grounded in inclusion, innovation, and resilience.

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