To identify examples of a 21st century business one should look to brands such as South Africa's Sorbet franchise and instant networking platforms such as WhatsApp and Twitter. Sorbet is an example of a business that is modelled on the lifestyle of a 21 century consumer. This is encouraging to see in South Africa because that is exactly the mindset needed in order to create a boom in the SMME sector.
Without a doubt, South Africa has the capability to create SMMEs that meet the needs of the 21st century. Since the beginning of the current decade, one has already seen a number of relatively small South African start-ups, especially in the tech space, acquired by global brands because of the potential they possess. The message we need to instil is that our SMMEs need to address the needs of the 21st century consumer.