Story perspectives

South Africa's SMEs Struggle Amid Infrastructure Crisis

10/10/2025

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Summary

Story summary

South Africa's infrastructure issues significantly impact small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially in rural regions.
Frequent load shedding and inadequate internet access lead to high failure rates, according to Veroshen Naidoo from Business Partners Limited.
Despite a R1 trillion budget for public infrastructure, a World Bank study indicates a need for R4.8 trillion to R6.2 trillion by 2030 to address the funding gap.
Transitioning to low-power IoT networks is vital for improving connectivity and efficiency in sectors like agriculture and logistics, as legacy GSM networks will be phased out by 2027.

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Story summary

South Africa's infrastructure issues significantly impact small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially in rural regions.
Frequent load shedding and inadequate internet access lead to high failure rates, according to Veroshen Naidoo from Business Partners Limited.
Despite a R1 trillion budget for public infrastructure, a World Bank study indicates a need for R4.8 trillion to R6.2 trillion by 2030 to address the funding gap.
Transitioning to low-power IoT networks is vital for improving connectivity and efficiency in sectors like agriculture and logistics, as legacy GSM networks will be phased out by 2027.