OFM The OFM Business Hour

Trade Credit: a lifeline for struggling SA SMEs

Loading player...
South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) continue to face a tough business climate, with poor profitability and limited access to external finance being the main reasons for failure. Dr Werner Henk Otto, lecturer and researcher at the University of the Free State, says trade credit can serve as a critical lifeline. However, he cautions that it must be used responsibly. His findings are published in the Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management.
24 Apr 2025 2PM English South Africa Business · Daily News

Other recent episodes

Verstaan jou regte by eiendomsveilings

Wat gebeur wanneer ’n eiendom wat op ’n veiling gekoop is, met kenmerke bemark word wat nie deel van die verkoop is nie? Ons ontleed ’n baanbrekers-uitspraak oor verbruikersbeskerming ná ’n Limpopo-egpaar ontdek het dat die dam en wild wat gebruik is om ’n wildplaas te verkoop, in werklikheid op…
22 Jan 12PM 11 min

Foot-and-mouth disease forces Bloem Show to cancel livestock showcase

The organisers of the much-anticipated Bloem Show have cancelled the livestock showcase for 2026. This is due to the ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in South Africa. Bloem Show CEO, Elmarie Prinsloo, says that the decision was a difficult one for them to make. However, the rest of the event…
19 Jan 9AM 2 min

Transalloys at the end of its financial tether, retrenchments loom

South Africa’s last remaining manganese smelter, Transalloys, is consulting with labour on imminent large-scale retrenchments. Transalloys Managing Director, Theo Morkel, confirms to OFM these consultations kicked off on Thursday, 8 January. Transalloys, is at the end of its financial tether, battling soaring electricity costs, which they say reportedly account for…
13 Jan 4AM 7 min

Corporate giving in SA up by 3% to R13.1bn in 2025

South Africa’s CSI spend is up by 3% to R13.1bn in 2025. This is outlined in the 28th edition of the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook. The book this year focuses on the power of measurement in driving social impact, stressing the importance of strategic CSI. Cathy Duff, Trialogue Director…
11 Dec 2025 1PM 10 min

SA’s retail sector gains momentum as sales and confidence rebound

The Bureau of Economic Research's Retail Survey for the fourth quarter of 2025 shows business confidence in the sector jumped to 43% up from 32%, returning to levels seen during the first half of the year. The BER’s Nomvelo Moima attributes the improved sentiment to “more favourable trading conditions, buoyed…
11 Dec 2025 12PM 6 min
All episodes