A Market Hiding in Plain Sight

South Africa’s township economy is not a marginal space—it is a powerhouse. With over 532 townships and the majority of the population living and trading within them, these areas generate trillions in economic activity annually. And yet, most township businesses remain excluded from traditional enterprise development systems.

This disconnect is not about lack of effort or ambition. It is about misalignment.

For years, enterprise support has been designed with formal, B2B small businesses in mind. Meanwhile, the majority of township entrepreneurs operate in informal, B2C markets—serving real customers, generating real revenue, but navigating systems that were never built for them.

The Real Constraint: Not Effort, but Systems

One of the most striking insights from the SIGNAL session was this: township entrepreneurs are not struggling because they lack drive. They are struggling because they lack systems. Data from the KIP programme shows that:

• Almost no businesses are planning ahead for staff or suppliers
• Very few track whether their strategies are working
• A small minority are leveraging digital sales channels
• Structured staff training is the exception, not the norm

These are not small gaps—they are structural constraints. And when combined, they create a ceiling that even the most determined entrepreneur cannot break through.

Without planning, businesses can’t confidently take on larger orders.
Without tracking, they can’t learn from what works.
Without team capability, growth remains dependent on one person.

The result is a cycle many entrepreneurs know too well: constant hustle, limited growth.

The Missed Opportunity at Scale

Perhaps the most urgent insight from the session was the scale of what is being left behind. A significant majority of qualified township businesses are not currently being served by support programmes. These are not early-stage ideas—they are active businesses with customers, revenue, and growth potential. This represents a massive, system-level opportunity: to rethink how support is designed, delivered, and scaled.

Listening to Entrepreneurs: What They Actually Need

Across different cohorts, entrepreneurs consistently pointed to three core barriers:

Time: Running a business while participating in a programme is a constant balancing act. The challenge is not willingness—it is capacity.

Access: Data costs, connectivity, and platform usability create friction at every step of the learning journey.

Application: Content alone is not enough. Entrepreneurs need support to apply what they learn to their specific business realities.

This last point is especially important. The gap is not in knowledge transfer—it is in translation.

Designing for Reality, Not Assumptions

Led by the ANDE Southern Africa chapter, with African Management Institute (AMI) as the implementing partner, the Kasipreneur Impact Project (KIP) is advancing an entrepreneur-centred approach to strengthening township economies. This work is made possible through funding by the Walmart Foundation, and is further supported through partnerships with Canva Africa and Tiger Brands South Africa.

The KIP model responds to these challenges with a fundamentally different approach—one that is entrepreneur-centred, practical, and grounded in real-world application.

Instead of focusing only on training, it emphasizes:

• Action-based learning that builds core business habits
• Peer learning structures that foster accountability and shared problem-solving
• One-on-one coaching to bridge the gap between theory and practice
• Strengthening local Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs) to deliver contextually relevant support

This is not about adding more content. It is about building capability.

The Strength We Often Overlook

Beyond the constraints, the session surfaced something equally important: the inherent strength of township entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs operate in complex, high-pressure environments—and yet, they consistently demonstrate remarkable resilience:

• A strong sense of personal ownership
• A belief in their ability to figure things out
• An ability to adapt and keep moving forward

In other words, the mindset is already there. What’s missing is not motivation—it is matched support.

A Shift in Perspective

The SIGNAL session made one thing clear: the opportunity is not to “fix” township entrepreneurs. It is to design systems that finally meet them where they are. This requires a shift—from delivering programmes to entrepreneurs, to building ecosystems with them. It requires moving from assumptions to evidence, from generic solutions to contextual design, and from isolated interventions to coordinated systems of support.

Looking Ahead

As ANDE continues to champion inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems across Africa, the insights from KIP offer a compelling blueprint. Township economies are not peripheral—they are central to the continent’s future. And the entrepreneurs within them are not waiting to be rescued. They are already building.

The real question is whether the ecosystem is ready to meet them with the tools, systems, and partnerships they need to thrive. Because when that alignment happens, the shift is profound: from hustle to growth, from survival to sustainability, and from potential… to prosperity.

The findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Walmart Foundation.