South Africa’s economy is powered in large part by its small and micro businesses. These enterprises are often the first step for entrepreneurs, offering job opportunities and driving local economic development. Yet despite their significance, many small businesses struggle to survive beyond the first few years. A key reason? The lack of effective marketing.
The Numbers Tell a Story
According to the 2023 Stats SA report on the survey of employers and the self-employed, approximately 68.6% of small businesses in South Africa cited lack of access to marketing and advertising as a key constraint to growth. This is not surprising considering that only 1 in 10 of these businesses reported having any form of formal marketing strategy .
When asked about their biggest operational challenges, small businesses listed:
- Lack of customers or low sales (29.6%)
- Access to funding (28.4%)
- Lack of advertising and marketing reach (14.5%)
This confirms that demand generation is a central hurdle. In a marketplace where brand visibility drives customer trust, small businesses without a marketing footprint risk being invisible — even if they offer quality products or services.
Why Marketing Matters
Marketing is not about big budgets — it’s about the right message, delivered consistently to the right audience. Effective marketing does the following:
- Builds trust and visibility
- Drives word-of-mouth referrals
- Helps businesses understand and serve their target market better
- Enhances competitiveness in saturated markets
In fact, studies globally show that small businesses that invest in digital marketing tools such as social media, mobile advertising, and email campaigns see sales growth up to 20% higher than those who don’t.
The Missed Opportunity
One of the striking findings in the report is that only 3.5% of self-employed businesses used any form of digital platform or website to market their services . In the age of smartphones and social media, this is a missed opportunity that could cost small businesses dearly.
Call to Action: Making Marketing Accessible
To bridge the gap, more needs to be done by both government and private sector to:
- Provide affordable or subsidised marketing training for entrepreneurs
- Support access to digital platforms and social media toolkits
- Encourage partnerships with marketing students or freelance professionals
- Offer co-marketing platforms for township and rural businesses
Marketing is not a luxury — it’s the oxygen for business survival. If South Africa’s small business sector is to thrive and contribute to inclusive economic growth, targeted marketing support must be part of every small business development strategy.