Business support built around how South African entrepreneurs actually get started
Local Entrepreneurs SA gathers plain-language guidance on registering a business, understanding funding and support programmes, and picking up basic digital skills — in one place, at no cost.
Find your starting point
Ask us a question
Tell us a little about your business and what you're trying to figure out. We reply by email, usually within a few working days.
Independent
Not affiliated with any bank, franchise or government department — the guidance here points you to official sources rather than replacing them.
Plain language
Written to be read by a business owner on a lunch break, not a compliance officer — no jargon left unexplained.
No sales pitch
No pricing tiers, no product reviews, no rankings — just information organised around what stage your business is at.
Three ways to move your business forward
Most questions we hear fall into one of three areas. Each one links out to fuller guides and to the official bodies that handle the actual paperwork.
Formalising your business
An overview of what registering a business in South Africa involves, in what order, and what to have ready before you start — from choosing a structure to understanding basic tax obligations.
- Choosing between a sole proprietorship, partnership or private company
- What CIPC registration generally requires
- Getting oriented on tax and municipal licensing basics
Understanding funding & support programmes
A plain-language map of the kinds of funding and non-financial support that exist for small businesses — so you know what category to look into before approaching any institution directly.
- The difference between grants, loans and enterprise development programmes
- What documentation is typically requested at application stage
- Where sector-specific and youth or women-owned business support usually sits
Building basic digital skills
Practical, low-cost ways to take a business online: setting up simple bookkeeping habits, being findable on a map or directory, and using messaging tools to manage customers without extra software costs.
- Setting up a free business listing and a simple booking or order process
- Basic digital record-keeping for sales and stock
- Using messaging apps for customer service well
Find your starting point
Answer three short questions and we'll point you to the section of the site that's most relevant right now. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Where is your business right now?
What feels like the biggest question mark at the moment?
How much time can you give to admin or planning each week?
Still not sure where to look?
Send us a short message about your business and we'll point you to the right section — or the right official body — directly.