President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 22 November 2024 address the National Presidential MSME & Cooperatives Awards ceremony at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand.

This premier event is dedicated to recognising outstanding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Cooperatives and is hosted by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD).

The awards aim to spotlight and reward the achievements of South Africa’s top-performing MSMEs, Cooperatives, and ecosystem enablers who drive growth and transformation across the nation.

This ceremony will honour businesses that embody innovation, commitment to local development, and entrepreneurial spirit. The selected finalists have advanced through rigorous district and provincial pitches and demonstrated their excellence and resilience across various categories.

This year’s finalists are an eclectic group of companies that span various key sectors of the economy in both the formal and informal businesses. These small businesses have also shown a lot of creativity, ingenuity, and resilience in penetrating sectors that are normally hard to enter.

Categories for this year’s MSME Awards include, but not limited to:
- Youth-Led MSME of the Year
- Township SMME of the Year
- Women-led SMME of the Year
- MSMEs Owned by Persons with Disabilities of the Year
- Cooperative of the Year
- Best Employing Cooperative of the Year
- Best Performing Rural Community-Based Initiative of the Year
- Best Performing Urban (Township) Community-Based Initiative of the Year

Small Businesses are a strategic tool for economic transformation, inclusive economic growth and job creation in South Africa. This celebration is a testament to the remarkable achievements of MSMEs and cooperatives, which have shown resilience and adaptability, particularly in challenging economic conditions.

The 2024 National Presidential MSME & Cooperatives Awards ceremony will take place during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), an initiative celebrated in over 200 countries to inspire and empower entrepreneurs around the world.

GEW highlights innovative solutions and resilient businesses that shape economies and enrich societies, resonating with the core values of the National Presidential MSME & Cooperatives Awards.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will officiate the award hand out ceremony to the winners, underscoring the importance of MSME development in advancing South Africa’s broader economic goals.