The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) would work with the office of the African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mathashe on a series of constructive engagements on improving the domestic economic climate and building a more inclusive economy, Sacci CEO Neren Rau said on Friday.

He noted that, at a meeting between Sacci membership and Mantashe on Thursday, the secretary-general said the core goal of the ANC in government was to transform South Africa into a confident and prosperous society, stating that, in this way, Sacci and the business community in general could work with government to achieve the goal of creating a more inclusive society.

“The private sector must be the architects of change,” Mantashe said, emphasising the need for continued engagements on policy matters.

Further, he noted that the newly established Ministry of Small Business Development had to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) became an engine for job creation.

“Development finance institutions must have the right risk appetite to invest in SMEs, and the market will follow,” Mantashe said.