EPWP Supports Small Businesses

Globally, post industrialisation has seen an increase in the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) becoming lifeblood of economies and the best hope for employment generation for the labour surplus (Sippitt, 2014). Similarly, South Africa also relies on SMEs to generate sufficient employment to absorb the excess unemployed masses. As such, the Government of South Africa (GSA), recognising a decline by the traditional labour absorbing sectors such as mining, agriculture, and manufacturing, introduced a melange of programmes and initiative intended to develop and support emerging small businesses. This book critically assess and evaluate the impact as well as the effectiveness of training and support interventions provided to small businesses by one of the GSA initiatives: the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), as defined as the nationwide government-led initiative with the objective of providing work opportunities and income support to poor and unemployed people over a short to medium term.