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. “These latest survey findings are significant as they confirm that the vast majority of SMEs are highly engaged and intend to vote in the upcoming elections, with more than two-thirds having already made up their minds on their preferred candidate,” says Jeremy Lang, MD of Business Partners Limited. “This means political parties have relatively little room to shift SME sentiment, with only 17,6% of business owners still undecided and potentially open to changing their vote. ”
When asked to rank eight factors according to their influence on voting decisions, respondents placed safer towns and cities, support for SMEs, investment and job creation, and reliable water supply among the more influential considerations. The effective management of illegal immigration also featured prominently as a consideration, alongside road infrastructure, electricity supply, honest leadership and municipal service delivery. “These findings suggest that SMEs do not view immigration management in isolation, but as part of their broader expectations around effective governance, regulatory enforcement and a level playing field for business,” says Lang.