A series of reports, with recommendations, prepared for the Presidency and the National Treasury by a consortium led by SBP. The Cabinet endorsed the recommendation to introduce RIA in 2007. This series of reports include: -; RIA Executive Summary: Phases 1-3 September 2005 -; RIA Phase 1 Final Report March 2005 -; RIA Phase 2 Final Report July 2005 -; RIA Phase 3 Final Report September 2005 -; RIA DEAT Pilot Report June 2005 -; RIA DTI Pilot Report June 2005 -; RIA Guidelines September 2005 If you wish to receive copies of these reports please contact SBP.

This major study, undertaken by SBP for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing was designed to inform the Government of Lesotho's programme for SME support. The report presents the findings of a baseline survey of 600 SMEs, and analyses the key challenges and opportunities facing SME development in Lesotho.

Comprising two separate reports, this desktop-based research on the Central Development Corridor (Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo) provides a broad description of the SME environment in Africa, with specific information on the operating environment and composition of the SME sector in Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

Prepared for the DCED (Donor Committee on Enterprise Development) Business Environment Working Group, this report provides an overview of the most important issues that shape the African business environment and identifies the main challenges and emerging lessons for reform initiatives in the region. The report argues that more effective donor practices for business environment reform require donors to engage in much more closely with businesses operating in Africa.

Commissioned by the Urban Land Markets Programme, SBP produced this Regulatory Impact Analysis of two proposed regulatory interventions in the urban land market: the National Department of Housing's draft Inclusionary Housing Policy (IHP) and a proposal for the creation of a Housing Development Agency (HDA).

This Ministry of Trade and Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing white paper drafted by SBP argues that, SMEs' capacity for innovation are crucial for growth and competitiveness and in the context of growth, small business accounts for the bulk of new employment. The Government aims to facilitate links between formal big businesses and the small and medium businesses. Such linkages will help to SMEs to benefit from trade agreements with developed economies

This report compiled for the Danish Africa Commission maps a number of existing and planned initiatives aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship in selected African countries. For each country, it briefly describes the initiatives identified, the financial services offered, the target group where applicable, the organisational set-up and where available the documented impact

This report, commissioned by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) within South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry is based on survey findings of spaza shop owners in three provinces. The report details Business Development Services (BDS) currently available, as well as the awareness and take-up of such services by spaza owners

Commissioned by Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), this independently validated Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on selected clauses of the Consumer Protection Bill was designed to assist BUSA in determining its advocacy strategy for engagement with government.

The strategic plan, together with a comprehensive set of governance policies and procedures, was prepared by SBP as the Interim Secretariat for the ICF Board of Trustees as a condition precedent for investors to disburse funds to the ICF. This set of documents provided a strategic framework for ICF operations within which the Executive would operate

This document, developed by SBP as the ICF's Principal Agent in the pre-establishment phase, was designed to introduce the ICF to potential donor and private sector investors. It provided an overview of the initiative; furnished detail on legal, governance and financial arrangements; presented a detailed monitoring and impact assessment framework, and explained the ICF's phased growth approach from inception to exit.

The NEL project, with financial support from GtZ, was central to SBP's work on business linkages in South Africa from 2003 onwards and was integral to the development of SBP's Business Bridge model to develop SMEs' human and social capital. It also significantly influenced the conceptualisation and implementation of Psi Malawi. The broad objective of the NEL pilot was to test new approaches to business linkages between large and small companies in South Africa in a number of locations and sectors through a unique networking model.

This report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Third Country Training Programme in Singapore mounted jointly by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Singapore Government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme had delivered a series of capacity building training workshops, focusing on SME competitiveness, in which three hundred and eighteen senior public and private sector officials from Commonwealth member countries had participated by March 2006.

This report summarises the proceedings of the South African Regulators Forum (SARF) workshop at which SBP made a presentation on the costs of regulation to the South African economy and on reducing regulatory compliance costs.

This report details the proceedings and summarises the lessons of corporate experience discussed at a forum convened by the National Business Initiative (NBI) with leading South African corporations and State Owned Enterprises that shared and reflected on the key lessons that these corporations have learnt in their interaction with, and support of, SME suppliers.

Conducted in partnership with Genesis Analytics this report commissioned by FIAS reviews the administrative barriers to investment in South Africa measured across six areas: obtaining migratory work permits; registering a business entity and obtaining business licences; registering for tax; acquiring, registering and developing property; dealing with labour issues; and complying with inspections.

SBP was commissioned by the Access to Justice Programme (now SJG) to undertake an investigation of the regulatory environment and regulatory best practice (RBP) awareness at federal level in Nigeria. This study was similar to those studies already done for 12 other African countries and was based on an analysis of a range of official and unofficial sources as well as in-country interviews.

This report presents the findings of the Re-Orientation of DFID-Kenya's Business Partnership Programme (BPP). The re-evaluation was carried out by DFID and SBP. The goal of the BPP is to reduce the incidence of poverty in Kenya - especially amongst women - by working with the large private sector, in innovative ways, to promote business activities that improve the livelihoods of poor men and women.

This study, co-ordinated by Bannock Consulting working with SBP and under contract to DFID SA reviewed the machinery and policies used in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and three in Central Europe. The study indicates that policies designed to promote the local private sector - especially small, medium and micro enterprises - are highly unlikely to be effective unless various regulatory and institutional problems are addressed.

This study commissioned by the Shell Foundation explored the regulatory framework and its effects on the SME energy sector in South Africa. Through the use of literature review, focus groups and in-depth interviews this report reviewed the provision of Business Development Services to this sector and assessed the reasons for market failure in the SME energy sect

This report outlines the primary challenges associated with rural development and based on an in-depth understanding of the target community uses the Force Field Analysis model to develop clear objectives and effective strategies in implementing programmes and policies to achieve rural development.