SMALL BUSINESS

Economic inclusion creates economically active citizens who are free to buy and sell how and where they wish, which in turn increases the tax revenue base putting more back into the fiscus

downfall of small business owners, who buy a franchise believing it to be a ‘safe bet’ only to find that prescriptive buying and even pricing regulations render the business unsustainable.

THE BOTTOM LINE

New anti-competition laws, which we are still studying, have stringent measures in place against ‘closed shop’ arrangements that work against economic inclusivity. The new legislation should support small business owners not only in respect of overly prescriptive contracts but also in allowing better access to markets as prioritising, favouritism, nepotism, collusion and all these variations of unfair business practices come under legal scrutiny. Economic inclusion is an imperative for the country. It creates economically active citizens who are free to buy and sell how and where they wish, which in turn increases the tax revenue base putting more back into the fiscus. Localisation and inclusion can be synonymous. By practising the one, we are by default supporting the other and creating much-needed jobs in the process. We therefore appeal to all members of the PBF to review their procurement processes and supply chains in favour of businesses that are manufacturing locally and who are therefore creating jobs.

PROUD MOMENT FOR SOUTH AFRICAN GBS INDUSTRY

Rising from obscurity to compete with the likes of India and the Philippines, a few weeks ago, South Africa was rated the most favoured front offi ce Customer Experience (CX) offshore delivery location in 2021. Founder and CEO of SoluGrowth, SANDILE GWALA, reports on what this achievement means for GBS in SA

We all have strong memories of the race that made Wayde van Niekerk a national and global hero at the 2016 Olympics. There was massive jubilation across the nation at the accomplishment of such an impressive feat. But ask the majority of South Africans about their knowledge of the journey he took to achieve such a result and barely anyone can give you much of the background without performing an in-depth Wikipedia search and read. This is not surprising in a nation that counts soccer, rugby and cricket as its most popular sports. The same can be said for the Global Business Services (GBS) industry. In South Africa, this industry was a sleeping giant in comparison to the mining, banking, telecommunication and retail sectors. It has risen from obscurity to compete with the likes of India and the Philippines. A few weeks ago, South Africa was rated the most favoured front offi ce Customer Experience (CX) offshore delivery location in 2021, as announced by the trusted Ryan Strategic Advisory’s Annual Front Offi ce BPO Omnibus Survey. A tremendous number of stakeholders worked tirelessly to implement the objectives of the GBS Incentives that has led the industry to very successful growth in South Africa and achieving this rating.