South Africa’s Minister for Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni, has revealed the country’s key priorities for the Startup20 Engagement Group, an official G20 initiative designed to connect global startups and MSMEs with decision-makers. The announcement was made during the group’s midterm meeting at Birchwood in Boksburg.

Startup20 provides a dedicated platform for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to engage with G20 leadership on pressing challenges and emerging opportunities.

Ndabeni introduced five focus areas that will guide South Africa’s contribution to the initiative:

• Foundation and Alliance – centring on enabling policies and creating a better-resourced, more supportive environment for early-stage entrepreneurs and scale-ups.
• Finance and Investment – addressing the lack of early-stage and cross-border funding while looking for ways to reduce investment risk, particularly for underrepresented groups such as women and young people. This includes backing businesses with pre-investment capital readiness support.
• Inclusion and Sustainability – with an emphasis on circular economy models, green innovation, and preparing youth- and women-led enterprises to be investment-ready.
• Market Access – focusing on enabling e-commerce, facilitating international trade, reforming public procurement, and supporting regional economic integration.
• Township and Rural Entrepreneurship – aimed at improving local value chains, infrastructure, digital connectivity, and access to finance and ecosystem support for cooperatives and micro-enterprises.

“Task teams made up of South African and international representatives have been established in these five priority areas,” Ndabeni said.

“This Midterm Engagement Group Session provides the opportunity for these task forces together with others in the broader eco-system to develop policy recommendations that culminate in a clear programme of action to be finalised in the Startup20 Summit on the 13th and 14th of November.”

“This summit in November will also include the inaugural Startup20 Awards, where the best startups and eco-system enablers from the G20 countries will be recognised. We will also, as DSBD, integrate our Presidential MSME Awards where we recognise and reward our best local talent,” Ndabeni said.

Ndabeni stressed the significance of South Africa’s presidency in promoting “issues of the Global South and Africa in particular, including issues of public debt, food security, market access, and the availability and cost of capital”.

She noted that the African Union’s admission as a permanent G20 member in 2023 had elevated Africa’s position in global policymaking. “With the African Union’s induction as a permanent G20 member in 2023, Africa’s voice is now more prominent in global policymaking. South Africa plays a dual role: both as a sovereign G20 member and as a strategic member of the AU. As such we are well positioned to support the continent’s startup and MSME agenda,” she said.

“This alignment allows for greater policy coherence, enabling South Africa to serve as a bridge between global discourse and regional development aspirations, particularly in areas such as startup financing, regulatory reform, and digital transformation.”