Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management

By the end, you can test a business idea cheaply, price your product, keep simple books, register your business and plan your first 90 days.

Job-ready skillAbout 70 hours3 stagesFree

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Entrepreneurship is starting and running a business that solves a real problem and makes a profit. Small businesses and spaza shops employ millions of South Africans, and running one well takes planning, money skills and customer focus.

Turn on JavaScript to track your progress. The lessons are:FoundationsFind a real problem and test your idea before spending money.Task: Talk to ten possible customers about a problem your idea solves. Write what they said, what they would pay and whether your idea still makes sense.Core skillsPlan the business: pricing, costs, cash flow and registration.Task: Build a one-page business plan and a simple cash-flow sheet for six months. Work out your break-even point and price.Applied practiceRun and grow: selling, records, tax and staying compliant.Task: Run your idea as a small test (for example sell 20 units). Keep a sales and expense record, then write what you learned and what you will change.

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What competent looks like

Tests ideas with real customers first
Calculates price, costs and break-even
Keeps simple income and expense records
Knows how to register with CIPC and SARS
Separates business and personal money

The South African route

Register a company on the CIPC BizPortal and register for tax with SARS. The NYDA and SEDFA offer support, training and some funding for young entrepreneurs.

Free resources

Business registration
CIPC BizPortal
Youth business support and grants
NYDA

These links go to free courses and sites run by other organisations. We chose them in October 2026 but do not run them, so check costs, dates and entry requirements on their site. Broken link? Tell us.

Jobs it can lead to

Small business owner
Spaza or market trader
Freelancer
Business assistant in a start-up