{"id":75765,"date":"2025-06-30T16:34:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T16:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smebanking.news\/?post_type=product&p=17545"},"modified":"2025-06-30T16:34:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T16:34:21","slug":"17545-the-state-of-south-african-small-business-2","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/smebanking.agency\/platform\/report\/17545-the-state-of-south-african-small-business-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The State of South African Small Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction by Colin Timmis, Xero South Africa Country Manager <\/em><\/p>\n

At Xero, we\u2019re all about the cloud. We see the difference it can make to small businesses every day.<\/p>\n

But we also know that the cloud is a platform \u2013 and a platform is only as good as what\u2019s built on it. Adoption is just the beginning, and South Africa\u2019s small businesses must do more than just \u2018get on the cloud\u2019; once they\u2019re on it, they need to think about how they can reach even higher.<\/p>\n

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to revolutionise the country\u2019s enterprise environment. Embracing these innovations (alongside the cloud tools that are already available) will be essential for small business owners and accountants. But is South Africa\u2019s SME community ready to drive change \u2013 now and in the future?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve reported on the state of the small business and accounting sector in the country for three years. Each time, we\u2019ve uncovered new insights into the challenges, rewards, and mindsets of South Africa\u2019s entrepreneurs and accountants. From a sociopolitical perspective, the last two years have been a time of dramatic change, and even upheaval: the economy has slowed, presidents have come and gone, and business \u2013 as ever \u2013 is caught in the middle.<\/p>\n

So how does a smaller company move forward in a time when uncertainty is the only guarantee? In a country where it\u2019s estimated that SMEs make up 90% of formal businesses and contribute around 34% to GDP, it\u2019s a critical question.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Technology, innovation, and unlocking growth in 2019<\/em><\/p>\n

We surveyed 200 accountants and 400 small business owners about the influence of technology on small businesses in South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":50522,"template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[2355,2347],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-75765","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-digital-banking-en","product_cat-study-library","pmpro-has-access","first","instock","shipping-taxable","product-type-external"],"yoast_head":"\nReport The State of South African Small Business 2019<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We surveyed 200 accountants and 400 small business owners about the influence of technology on small businesses in South Africa.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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