Elvorne Palmer

News

SA Small Business Reform: 5+ Wins the 2026 Budget Delivers for SMEs

Feb 26, 2026

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6 min read

SA Small Business Reform: 5+ Wins the 2026 Budget Delivers for SMEs

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana raised the VAT registration threshold from R1 million to R2.3 million, a change that hasn't happened in 17 years. It's one of several South African business reform moves in the 2026 budget that directly address what we called for in our recent letter to the president. Here's what landed, what didn't, and whether it's enough.

Elvorne Palmer, +1

News

Plato Coffee Expansion: From a Gauteng Container to London and Beyond

Feb 25, 2026

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5 min read

Plato Coffee Expansion: From a Gauteng Container to London and Beyond

Five years ago, Plato Coffee was a single-container shop next to a cemetery in Irene. Today it has 100+ locations across South Africa, a first international store in Zimbabwe, and is now in discussions to open in the UK, the Netherlands, the UAE and the USA. It is the latest in a growing list of SA brands building for export, and the ambition is as exciting as the challenges are real.

Elvorne Palmer

News

Feb 23, 2026

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4 min read

What Is Takealot Building on WhatsApp?

SA’s biggest online retailer seems to be building something new on WhatsApp. There’s no press release or announcements yet, just an opt-in screen shared on LinkedIn by a local founder who knows their way around WhatsApp. Here's what we know, what we don't and why it matters.

Elvorne Palmer, +1

Elvorne Palmer

SA Small Business Reform: 5+ Wins the 2026 Budget Delivers for SMEs

Plato Coffee Expansion: From a Gauteng Container to London and Beyond

What Is Takealot Building on WhatsApp?

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