By Lebone Rodah Mosima
Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni has called on banks to move beyond traditional lending and become “development partners” to youth-owned enterprises seeking to participate in South Africa’s growing green economy.
Ndabeni said businesses should not be left unable to fulfil contracts because they could not secure working capital.
“If a credible youth-owned business wins a contract but cannot access the necessary working capital to deliver it, then the ecosystem has failed,” she said.
Ndabeni was speaking at the Nedbank Green Economy Indaba 2026, which focused on youth-led enterprises in renewable energy, water and sanitation, waste and recycling, sustainable agriculture, green technology, sustainable fashion and circular manufacturing.
She said the high level of youth unemployment made it imperative to ensure young people benefited from opportunities created by the transition to a greener economy.
According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, about five million South Africans
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