Is South Africa’s Department of Small Business Development about to be axed?

The department – which has long come under fire for doing too little to support small business (see this post), was set up in 2014 by Jacob Zuma, who last month stepped down as president.

Cyril Ramaphosa, who took over as head of state, has vowed to down size the cabinet. In his State of the Nation Address last month he said a review would be carried out on the number and size of government departments.

Following the speech, Small Business Minister Lindiwe Zulu survived a cabinet reshuffle Ramaphosa carried out last month.

But a report by City Press earlier this month quoted an unnamed insider as saying the department is likely to be dissolved and allocated a director-general in the trade and industry department.

Source: Small Business Insigt