Brief
South African SMEs show strong voting intentions ahead of local elections
The latest SME Confidence Index shows most owners have chosen a party, with concerns over municipal services, governance and illegal immigration shaping preferences.
By Felo News Desk · Published
South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have entered the local government election period with clear expectations around operating conditions, according to a survey released on 22 Oct 2026 by Business Partners Limited.
What the survey found
The SME Confidence Index reports that 70.4% of business owners surveyed have already decided which political party or candidate they intend to vote for in the upcoming local elections. A further 17.6% remain undecided, 6.6% said they do not intend to vote and 5.3% preferred not to answer.
Key issues influencing votes
Respondents ranked eight factors by influence on their voting decisions. The most influential were safer towns and cities, support for SMEs, investment and job creation, and reliable water supply. Effective management of illegal immigration also featured prominently, alongside road infrastructure, electricity supply, honest leadership and municipal service delivery.
Immigration and enforcement concerns
Almost eight in ten respondents (78.7%) agreed that insufficient enforcement of immigration and labour laws creates unfair competition for South African SMEs, with 55.4% strongly agreeing and 23.4% somewhat agreeing. The survey found that 65% of SMEs believe the employment of undocumented foreign nationals is common in their industries – 43.1% described it as very common and 21.9% as somewhat common.
Operational impact of protests
While 51.2% said recent marches and protests relating to illegal immigration had not affected their businesses, 42.2% reported some level of impact, either significant or moderate.
Comments from Business Partners Limited
Jeremy Lang, managing director at Business Partners Limited, said the findings confirm “the vast majority of SMEs are highly engaged and intend to vote in the upcoming elections, with more than two‑thirds having already made up their minds on their preferred candidate.” He added that “political parties have relatively little room to shift SME sentiment, with only 17.6% of business owners still undecided and potentially open to changing their vote.” Lang also noted that “SMEs do not view immigration management in isolation, but as part of their broader expectations around effective governance, regulatory enforcement and a level playing field for business.”
Key facts
- 70.4% of surveyed South African SMEs have decided how to vote in the upcoming local elections (bizcommunity.com)
- 78.7% say weak enforcement of immigration and labour laws creates unfair competition (bizcommunity.com)
- 65% believe undocumented foreign nationals are commonly employed in their industries (bizcommunity.com)
Sources
- [1] bizcommunity.com — originally reported as “Survey reveals SMEs have clear expectations and firm voting intentions ahead of local elections - Business Partners Limited”
