As we pause to commemorate Workers’ Day in South Africa, we honour the rich legacy of our labour movements and the enduring spirit of the working class. This day reminds us of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of dignity, equity, and justice for workers across our country. But it also invites us to reflect on how work is evolving — and how entrepreneurship is fundamentally reshaping the future of our workforce. As Chairperson of Enterprise Development at the Black Management Forum (BMF), I witness daily how entrepreneurship is not only changing lives — it is rebuilding communities, stimulating local economies, and redefining what it means to participate meaningfully in the South African economy.
The Rise of the Entrepreneurial Worker
In today’s South Africa, where unemployment remains one of our greatest socio-economic challenges, entrepreneurship has emerged as a crucial lever for empowerment and transformation. With more than 11.6 million South Africans unemployed or not economically active (Stats SA, 2024), traditional employment avenues simply cannot accommodate the scale of our need. In response, many South Africans — particularly youth and women — are turning to entrepreneurship as both a survival strategy and a bold declaration of self-determination. From township tech start-ups and spaza shops, to agribusiness cooperatives and digital creatives, we are witnessing the rise of a new kind of worker — one who is not waiting for opportunity but creating it.
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Resilience and Innovation: The Spirit of South African Workers
This Workers’ Day, we must especially celebrate the resilience and innovation of these entrepreneurs. Against the backdrop of inequality, limited access to capital, and structural barriers, they continue to forge ahead with ingenuity. They are harnessing technology, leveraging community networks, and embracing new skills to adapt to a rapidly changing world.
For example, we see rural entrepreneurs using WhatsApp to coordinate agricultural supply chains; youth-run logistics ventures solving the last-mile delivery problem in informal areas; and women-led businesses redefining construction and manufacturing in peri-urban regions. This is not just innovation — it is the spirit of uBuntu expressed through enterprise. It is resilience with a purpose.
Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Inclusive Growth
At the BMF, we view entrepreneurship as a pillar of economic liberation. It is through entrepreneurship that we can unlock black excellence, grow inclusive industries, and redistribute opportunity in a more equitable and sustainable way. Small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) contribute over 60% of employment in South Africa and nearly 34% of GDP (SEDA, 2023).
They are often embedded in their communities, reinvesting in local economies, employing neighbours, and mentoring the next generation. Furthermore, entrepreneurship allows us to challenge corporate hierarchies that have historically excluded black professionals, and to create our own spaces of leadership, innovation, and ownership.
Reimagining Workforce Development through Enterprise
In this era of rapid digital transformation and uncertain global markets, we must ask ourselves: What does the future of work look like in South Africa? The answer lies in building an entrepreneurial workforce — one that is:
- Agile and digitally literate, capable of creating and seizing opportunities in emerging sectors.
- Socially conscious, designing businesses that address community challenges.
- Empowered by networks, including mentorship, funding, training, and policy support.
At the BMF, our enterprise development initiatives are focused on precisely this: equipping black entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and leadership capacity to thrive. We believe that when we invest in entrepreneurs, we invest in the future workforce of South Africa.
A New Era of Work for Conscious Leadership
To truly honour the workers of today and tomorrow, we need conscious, courageous leadership across all sectors. Government, corporate South Africa, academia, and civil society must collaborate to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurial success.
This includes:
- Expanding access to finance and credit for black-owned businesses.
- Supporting incubation hubs in underserved regions.
- Reforming procurement practices to favour local SMMEs.
- Embedding entrepreneurship education from an early age.
We must view enterprise development not as charity, but as a strategic investment in national development, economic justice, and social cohesion.
Conclusion: Celebrating Workers, Empowering Entrepreneurs
On this Workers’ Day, let us celebrate not only the formally employed, but also the self-employed, the side-hustlers, the market traders, the home-based producers, and the informal workers — the often-invisible architects of our economy. Their courage and creativity inspire us. Their hustle keeps the wheels turning. Their enterprises, however small, are the seeds of a more inclusive, just, and prosperous South Africa.
Let us commit to building a nation where every citizen has the opportunity — and the support — to become a worker and a wealth creator through enterprise.
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About the Author
Nomsa Simelane is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategic advisor with over 20 years of combined corporate and entrepreneurial experience. She is the Managing Director of Samkelimpilo (Pty) Ltd, specializing in supply chain & procurement focusing on bid management & tender advisory, enterprise development, and business development.
She serves as a Board Member and Chairperson of the Enterprise Development Committee at the Black Management Forum, Nomsa is a passionate advocate for empowering SMMEs and driving inclusive economic growth.
