SMEs have clear expectations and voting intentions ahead of local elections

South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have entered the local government election period with clear expectations around the conditions needed to operate, invest and grow. Municipal service delivery, good governance and the effective management of illegal immigration have emerged as leading concerns influencing how SME owners intend to vote in the upcoming local government elections. This is according to the latest SME Confidence Index by Business Partners Limited, which reveals that 70,4% of business owners surveyed have already decided which political party or candidate they intend to vote for. A further 17,6% remain undecided, while 6,6% said they do not intend to vote and 5,3% preferred not to answer.