Entrepreneurs and small businesses were supported through CSI by 40% of corporates and received an average of 8% of CSI expenditure in 2022. This is a decrease from 1997, when 69% of companies supported this sector and it received 11% of CSI expenditure, possibly due to such support moving from CSI to separate enterprise development budgets.
Within the sector, CSI spend has predominantly been on skills development. There has been an increase in the proportion of funding that goes towards infrastructure, facilities and equipment, as well as the provision of finance. As companies have become increasingly aware of the many issues that start-ups face, funding has shifted towards more holistic support and not just training.
Type of intervention
- Consistent with previous years, the largest share of funding for entrepreneurs and small businesses was directed to skills development (49%), down from 62% in 2021.
- Funding for the provision of infrastructure, facilities and equipment (24%), and finance (18%) increased in 2022, from 17% and 13% in 2021, respectively.
- On average, more than half of small businesses (52%) supported through CSI were part of the company value chain (up from 44% in 2021), with the proportion ranging from 10% to 100%.