For years, many South Africans have argued that spaza shop owners don’t just need motivation — they need funding, training and proper business support. Now the government is putting serious money on the table, with nearly R180 million earmarked to support more than 2 300 spaza shops nationwide

For years, many South Africans have argued that spaza shop owners don’t just need motivation — they need funding, training and proper business support. Now the government is putting serious money on the table, with nearly R180 million earmarked to support more than 2 300 spaza shops nationwide. But there’s a major stumbling block: many applicants failed to meet legal compliance requirements, slowing down the rollout of this much-needed initiative. Guest: Nkosikhona Mbatha, Acting CEO of Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA)