The quiet entrepreneurial power of SA’s services sector

WHEN South Africa’s policymakers and business leaders talk about entrepreneurship, the spotlight usually falls on retail, manufacturing, and technology startups. Yet sitting just off-centre stage is a silent force: service-based businesses.

- BOITSHOKO SHOKE AND LONDANI MPHARALALA

From freelance marketers and local content creators to township writers, designers, consultants, and customer service innovators, the service economy remains both overlooked and undervalued.

In truth, it carries immense untapped potential to drive inclusive growth, generate jobs, and reshape South Africa's entrepreneurial landscape.The numbers tell their own story. According to the World Bank. South Africa's services sector has quietly become the backbone of the economy. Back in 1990, it accounted for 52.4 percent of GDP. By 1997, as the country stabilised post-apartheid, that figure had jumped to 60 percent, driven by growth in financial services, tourism, and retail. The rise continued to 63.5 percent in 2006, showing that services were not just growing; they were proving resilient in the face of global market shifts.