By 
President Cyril Ramaphosa will today, Wednesday, 15 April 2026, address the two-day National Local Economic Development (LED) Summit, which takes place at Birchwood Hotel, Johannesburg.
The summit is convened by the Department of Small Business Development, in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The theme for the event is “Re-engineering Local Economies: A Collaborative Blueprint for Small Enterprise Growth and Ease of Doing Business.”
The summit serves as a high-level national platform that brings together government, the private sector, academia, development finance institutions and other key stakeholders to advance coordinated and practical solutions for inclusive local economic growth.
The gathering takes place at a critical juncture as government seeks to reposition local economic development as a central pillar of South Africa’s developmental agenda.
This focus aims to accelerate economic growth, support job creation and strengthen the resilience of local economies, particularly in townships and informal sectors such as rural areas.
Deliberations will focus on strengthening the implementation of local economic development, improving intergovernmental coordination through the District Development Model, and unlocking opportunities for small, medium, and micro enterprises (MSMEs).
