Lulapay’s Jordan Gosling highlights a critical issue impacting South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs): consistently late payments from larger entities. These delays effectively transform suppliers into unwilling lenders, straining their financial resources and hindering growth. Gosling argues that simply implementing new regulations won't fully address the underlying cash-flow difficulties experienced by SMMEs due to these late settlements. The problem isn’t a lack of rules, but their enforcement and deeper systemic issues affecting payment practices in South Africa. This situation creates instability for suppliers who rely on timely income to manage their own obligations. A holistic approach addressing payment culture and access to finance is needed to truly alleviate the pressure on South African SMMEs. Ultimately, solving this requires a shift beyond regulation towards fostering prompt payment behaviours.