Your SME clients are not imagining it. The roads are worse, the water cuts out, and the municipality isn't answering. But behind those daily frustrations lies a bigger story, one that shows up in tender prices, hiring struggles, and investment decisions. A new policy brief from the Gauteng Provincial Legislature lays it all out, and as their most trusted financial advisor, you need to know what it says.

Half of South Africa's small businesses are in distress, and most have less than a year of cash left. Yet only one in nine has spoken to an accountant in the past six months. The numbers point to two quiet killers, cash and connection, and to the one person best placed to fix both. This is the conversation your clients need you to start, and the advisory work you can charge for.