Business Associations in South Africa

Business Associations | Last edited 13 July 2021 | ExpatCapeTown

Listing of Chambers and Associations

ExpatCapeTown's listing of business associations in South Africa shall help locals and foreigners with business related queries. At these business organisations you will get specific advice when setting up a business in South Africa or planning to invest in the country.

South Africa ranks 84th (out of 190) in the World Bank's report on Ease of Doing Business 2020. Starting a business in South Africa, however, is not that easy as the report shows, ranking South Africa for this only as 139th of the 190 countries. Therefore we provide here some information about South African business associations which might be useful in your research.

National Associations and Business Chambers

Chambers and organisations offer valuable insights into doing business in South Africa. It is highly recommended to approach the following associations and tap into the excellent support networks and business databases these organisations provide for their members. Please let them know you found them listed on our ExpatCapeTown business guide. Thank you.

• South African Chamber of Commerce (SACCI, formerly SACOB): largest  association in South Africa
• National Small Business Chamber (NSBC): This membership based organisation protects and promotes small businesses. 
• Business Unity South Africa (BUSA): represents South African businesses on national and international levels
• Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): facilitates trade relations with South Africa, supports economic empowerment and business development
• International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC): import and export related support
• Businesswomen’s Association: supports business women, professional women and entrepreneurs in South Africa 
• Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda): support group for small businesses
• Government Investment Incentives: provides information about Government Investment Schemes 

Further, there are various export councils and trade associations for the respective industries. Read more here.

Business Associations:
Regional Business Development Support

• Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry: provides information and support to small, medium and micro enterprises as well as big companies
• WESGRO: Destination marketing, trade promotion and investment support for businesses in the Western Cape province
• Durban Investment and Promotion Agency: supports investment in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal
• Eastern Cape Development Corporation: business support for development and investment in the Eastern Cape
• Free State Development Corporation: supports enterprise development in the Free State province.
• Gauteng Growth and Development Agency: They support projects and businesses in the Gauteng province
• Johannesburg Development Agency: information and advice for businesses in the Johannesburg area.
• Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency: support for investment and economic development in the Mpumalanga province.
• North West Development Corporation: provides information for businesses in the North West Province

Business Associations | Further References

• The World Bank. "Doing Business 2020 - Economy Profile South Africa". World Bank Group. 1 May 2019. Accessed 25 November 2019
• The World Bank. "South Africa." World Bank Group. Accessed 25 November 2019

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