Stakeholder mapping in this report is used to understand how green small-scale enterprise development operates in practice. Rather than examining programmes or institutions in isolation, it focuses on interactions between actors, decision-making processes and the distribution of power, resources and influence across the system. In coal regions, outcomes for local enterprises depend less on individual interventions than on the level of institutional co-ordination, the sequencing of opportunities and access to decision-making spaces.
Key stakeholder groups include:
Community members: often the most affected by distributional impacts, community members remain underrepresented in formal processes. Their perspectives reflect local socio-economic conditions, livelihood concerns and expectations regarding access to opportunities, skills development and support.
Small-scale enterprises and start-ups: central to the development of a green local economy, small-scale enterprises and start-ups provide insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the ecosystem. As discussed in Chapter 1, the small businesses landscape is highly diverse, with a large share operating informally, and many enterprises facing persistent challenges in accessing finance, building capabilities and reaching markets. Environmental-friendly entrepreneurship remains nascent in Mpumalanga.
National government: national departments and public agencies set the policy, regulatory and funding frameworks shaping environmentally friendly MSME development. They influence priorities through industrial policy, energy planning, public finance and national support programmes. While they hold significant decision-making power, implementation often depends on effective alignment with provincial and local actors, as well as stronger co-operation with the private sector.
Municipalities: local, district and metropolitan municipalities shape the enabling environment through spatial planning, service delivery and local economic development. They act as primary institutional entry points for MSMEs and influence business operations through permitting, infrastructure access, procurement and local programme implementation. Municipal capacity varies largely across South Africa, depending in part on local support services.
Corporates and renewable energy industry actors: corporates play a decisive role in shaping market opportunities through procurement, investment and supplier development. They determine whether and how MSMEs can participate in sectors such as renewable energy, mine rehabilitation, waste management and industrial services. Stronger engagement with MSME could significantly expand these opportunities.
Industry, professional and business associations: these organisations influence market access indirectly by setting standards, certification requirements and industry norms. They provide information on opportunities, helping define participation conditions in emerging green sectors.
Training and post-school institutions: training and research bodies contribute by building skills and providing technical knowledge, with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges playing a growing role in coal regions (Chapter 3). Their impact is strongest when aligned with enterprise support, local projects and market opportunities, highlighting the need for better co-ordination across the ecosystem.
Enterprise support organisations and incubators: these actors play a critical intermediary role by translating policy and funding into practical support. Their activities include incubation, acceleration, compliance support, mentorship and market linkages. In Mpumalanga, more than 20 business incubators and accelerators are active. They act as trusted intermediaries, helping MSMEs navigate complex systems and connect to finance and opportunities.
Financial market institutions: commercial banks, development finance institutions and other financing providers, discussed in Chapter 2, shape access to capital. While they hold significant influence, their engagement tends to focus on larger or more established projects, with smaller MSMEs primarily reached through intermediaries or remaining underserved.
Development partners: bilateral and multilateral actors provide funding, technical assistance and programme support, typically channelled through government institutions or large implementing agencies. Many have been active in South Africa for decades and bring extensive implementation experience. Their ability to reach MSMEs depends on alignment with local actors and market conditions, as well as effective co-ordination across programmes. However, project-based support is usually timebound, which can limit long-term impact and continuity.
Relevant government bodies
The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) plays a central role through its responsibility for the MSME policy framework and support ecosystem, including business development services, incubation and access to finance.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) provides the overarching policy framework, helping to steer environmental-friendly entrepreneurship through regulation, commitments and economic diversification objectives. The Department has published the Green Business Guideline for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises, Startups and Entrepreneurs, which is promoted through outreach targeting women and youth (DFFE, 2022[1]).
The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) plays a strategic co‑ordinating and advisory role by shaping the national “Just Energy Transition” (JET) agenda.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), through the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), supports industry through capacity development, the provision of renewable energy and water audits, facilitation of access to finance and assistance to industrial parks in transitioning to low‑carbon operations, targeting both park managers and tenants.
The Technical Innovation Agency (TIA), supported through the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), provides business acumen skills support, prototype development and demonstration and support for commercialisation from ideation and concept stage for green innovation and technology development.
Development finance institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) through the Green Fund and the Industry Development Corporation (IDC) further complement this landscape by providing project preparation support, concessional finance, grants and blended finance instruments for green and environment‑aligned investments.
These stakeholder groups provide a multidimensional perspective on the barriers and priorities shaping MSME development in South Africa. The analysis revealed that institutions that control decisions on finance, procurement, land and investment are often furthest removed from day-to-day MSME realities, while those closest to communities have limited influence. Many MSMEs remain informal, undercapitalised and excluded from stable markets despite their central role in local development. This exclusion is not inevitable. Targeted reforms, including more accessible procurement, risk-sharing finance adapted to early-stage businesses and stronger local co-ordination linking finance, skills, enterprise support and demand, could significantly improve outcomes (Chapter 2).
Therefore, the priority is to align existing actors around shared, place-based objectives, rather than create new programmes. Treating environmentally friendly MSME development as a delivery system will be key to generating tangible jobs, businesses and local ownership in coal-affected communities. By identifying system dynamics and practical leverage points, South Africa can support a shift from planning to implementation and towards concrete local economic outcomes.