South Africa will host the first-ever Global Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Ministerial Meeting in Johannesburg from 22 to 24 July 2025 as part of its G20 presidency. The event, co-hosted with the International Trade Centre (ITC), will bring together ministers from around the world to focus on the role of small businesses in economic transformation.
The summit, themed “Navigating New Business Frontiers,” will address key challenges affecting SMEs, particularly access to finance, digital connectivity, and the green transition. Policymakers are expected to chart a roadmap for small businesses to scale, develop, and thrive in their respective countries.
With SMEs accounting for 90% of global businesses, the three-day gathering aims to foster concrete solutions through collaboration between government officials and the private sector. A Business and Innovation Space will run alongside the ministerial, giving private sector leaders and small business owners a platform to showcase innovations and success stories.
ITC will also host a leadership dialogue with Trade Promotion Organizations to contribute to the ministerial roundtables. These discussions are expected to shape new frameworks for SME development across diverse economies.
South Africa’s Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Tembisa Ndabeni, described the event as a timely opportunity for global cooperation, noting that the G20 platform provides space to develop solutions that promote growth and shared prosperity.
Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the ITC, said the gathering will serve as a dedicated space for tackling SME issues at the highest level, calling it a much-needed step toward inclusive and sustainable trade.
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