By: Jane Sithole MP -  is Deputy Minister: Department of Small Business Development 

Every day, across our cities, townships and rural communities, people wake up determined to build businesses, create jobs and provide for their families. Yet too often, burdens and hurdles stand in their way and block them from succeeding.

The greatest obstacle facing many small businesses today is not a lack of ideas or ambition. It is laws and/or regulations that poses an administrative burden to MSMEs recommended for reform  .

Every unnecessary requirement, every delayed permit/licence, every duplicated approval process and every unpaid  invoice inside and outside of government,  places another obstacle in the path of entrepreneurs who are simply trying to earn a living. For many small businesses, these administrative burdens are the difference between survival and closure.

If we are serious about economic growth and job creation, then cutting red tape cannot remain a slogan. It must become one of government's highest priorities. We urgently need practical reforms at national, provincial and local government level that can fundamentally improve South Africa's ease of doing business.

At national level, we need legislation that places red tape reduction at the centre of government. A dedicated Red Tape Reduction Act would require every sphere of government to measure, monitor and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. Every new regulation should undergo a proper Regulatory Impact Assessment before it is adopted to ensure that government does not unintentionally create barriers that destroy jobs instead of creating them.

We need an integrated business registration and licensing platform. Entrepreneurs should not have to navigate multiple departments and duplicate applications simply because government systems fail to communicate with one another. The greatest opportunity lies within local government.

Municipalities control many of the approvals that businesses require every day. Building plans, land-use applications, trading permits, electricity connections, water connections, and supplier payments all determine whether businesses succeed or fail.

A municipality that processes business registration applications efficiently becomes an engine of economic growth. One that delays approvals discourages investment and destroys opportunity.

Every municipality should therefore publish measurable turnaround times for these services and hold senior officials accountable for meeting them. What gets measured gets managed.

Equally important is changing the culture inside government.

Government should see entrepreneurs not as people to regulate into submission, but as partners in growing the economy. Every official should understand that every unnecessary delay affects someone's livelihood, someone's employees and someone's family.

One proposal I particularly it will make a huge difference is allowing officials themselves to identify and remove outdated or unnecessary rules that no longer serve any useful purpose. Those closest to the system often know exactly where unnecessary bureaucracy exists.

Reducing red tape is not about weakening standards or compromising public safety. It is about delivering regulation that is efficient, transparent and proportionate. Businesses should comply with sensible rules, not waste months navigating avoidable bureaucracy.

South Africa cannot regulate itself into prosperity.

Small businesses create the overwhelming majority of new jobs around the world. If we genuinely want inclusive growth, lower unemployment and thriving township and rural economies, then government must become an enabler rather than an obstacle.

Every day we delay reform is another day that entrepreneurs lose opportunities, investment is postponed and jobs are never created.

The choice before us is simple: we can continue managing bureaucracy, or we can start removing it.

South Africa's entrepreneurs have already shown they are ready to build the future.