South Africa’s SMMEs are often discussed through the lens of funding, access to capital and investment. But for media entrepreneur Promise Twala, there is another part of the equation that deserves attention: the skills business owners use to navigate people, pressure and relationships.
Twala, Founder and Chief Operations of Somkhanda Communications, is launching a free virtual soft skills workshop aimed at helping SMME owners and entrepreneurs strengthen the skills needed to navigate the realities of running a business.
Beyond the funding conversation
SMMEs are a significant part of South Africa’s economy, contributing just over 30% of GDP and employing almost 60% of the country’s workforce, according to the information provided by Somkhanda Communications.
But their experiences are far from uniform. While some businesses have successfully established themselves within the economy, others continue to face a complicated mix of financial, operational and market-related challenges.
Access to funding remains one of the most frequently discussed barriers to SMME growth. Twala’s workshop does not dispute the importance of capital. Instead, it asks what happens after an entrepreneur gets the resources they need.
Money can help a business launch, expand or acquire new resources. It cannot necessarily teach its owner how to negotiate with a client, resolve conflict within a team or make difficult decisions when the pressure is on.
The skills behind the business
The workshop will focus on the interpersonal and decision-making skills that can influence how entrepreneurs manage the day-to-day realities of their businesses.
Topics will include communication, negotiation, conflict management, relationship building, responding to adversity, client engagement and decision-making under pressure.
For Twala, these skills can play a role in whether a business is able to retain clients, navigate difficult situations and build sustainable relationships.
An entrepreneur might secure funding for expansion, for example, but still struggle to retain customers because of poor communication. A business might attract a promising opportunity but fail to negotiate effectively. As a company grows, unresolved conflict or ineffective leadership can create problems that funding alone cannot fix.
The idea, then, is not that soft skills can replace access to capital. They can strengthen the entrepreneur who has to put that capital to work.
Strengthening the person behind the business
Twala’s position comes from more than a decade of engaging with entrepreneurs, businesses and stakeholders across the economic ecosystem. As the Chief Operations of an SMME herself, she is also approaching the issue from within the same business environment she hopes to support.
The workshop is designed around the belief that strengthening an entrepreneur’s skills, mindset and relationships can make some of the challenges of running a business easier to navigate.
That perspective also acknowledges the reality facing South Africa’s SMMEs. Better communication will not solve structural barriers to finance, and stronger negotiation skills cannot replace the need for meaningful access to markets and investment.
But the resources available to a business are only part of its story. The person making decisions, managing relationships and responding to setbacks remains central to what happens next.
A free workshop for entrepreneurs
The virtual workshop will take place on 31 August 2026 and is open to SMME owners and entrepreneurs.
RSVPs close on 27 August 2026 at 20:00, with the workshop link to be shared with confirmed participants via email.
Entrepreneurs can register via info@somkhandacommunications.co.za or WhatsApp +27 65 692 1362.
For Twala, the objective is not to position soft skills as an alternative to funding. It is to broaden the conversation around what businesses need to survive and grow, by putting equal attention on the person responsible for building the business in the first place.
