The RED Door project is an initiative of the Enterprise Development Sub-Directorate within the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The Sub-Directorate aims to promote the development of small and/or black-owned enterprises.
What is the RED Door?
How Can the RED Door Help You?
The RED Door is a one-stop shop for new and existing businesses looking for help and advice, from the most basic to the most sophisticated.
Help build new businesses.
Help strengthen and develop existing businesses.
Help create and build more black-owned businesses.
RED Door centres are easy to find in most large communities and towns in the Western Cape. We speak English, Afrikaans and Xhosa, and our expert, friendly staff will work with you to analyse your business needs and then develop a customised action plan.
Write a business plan.
Identify and fix the weak points in your business.
Find access to finance.
Get affordable support from our network of business service providers.
Find accountants and lawyers.
Improve your business skills.
Learn how to apply for and win government tenders.
Find out about government incentives.
Find out about client relations, marketing and research.
Learn about how to import and export.
Small conference rooms.
Ongoing access to mentors.
Community entrepreneurship outreach programmes to the youth, women, emerging farmers and people with disabilities.
Around the world, small businesses are a big part of the economy. In developed countries, small businesses contribute up to 60% to GDP; in South Africa, small businesses only contribute about 35% to GDP. Part of the reason for this is that compared to many similar developing countries like Brazil and India, the survival rate of small businesses in South Africa has been low. So has the level of entrepreneurship.
Small business support services are badly needed but, historically, these have often been fragmented. In some areas, there has been a lot of duplication of services, while in others, especially in the rural areas, there have been no support services at all. The RED Door Advice Centres have been established to coordinate support services and make sure they are easily available, when and where they are needed.