Parliament committee to interview candidates to become SA's first small enterprise ombud

CAPE TOWN - Parliament will on Tuesday interview candidates to become the country’s first small enterprise ombud.

The office will adjudicate contractual disputes, the late payment of services, and complaints from business owners.

The position of ombud was created in terms of the National Small Enterprise Amendment Act, which was signed into law by the president in 2024.

Eight candidates will be vying for the position and will be interviewed in public.

Chairperson of the committee, Masefako Dikgale: "The ombud will have a direct impact on the lives of small business owners and cooperative members who often write to the committee to complain about ill-treatment by big corporates. It will also have multiplier effects on the inclusive economy and job creation."

Following an oversight visit in Limpopo last week, Dikgale said small businesses complained to the committee about inadequate support to grow their businesses.

"What came out prominently was a lack of access to the market, lack of access to credit, and lack of aftercare service. As a committee we also take note of a lack of post-investment support, monitoring and evaluation of the programmes."