Cloud computing (CC) has transformed the way businesses store and process data, offering various advantages such as scalability, cost-efficiency, and flexibility. However, ensuring secure access to cloud-based resources remains a critical concern, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This qualitative study aims to address the access control security challenges faced by SMEs in CC through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature and semi-structured interviews with SME owners, managers, and staff. This study's main goal is to examine and classify the access control security issues SMEs face while using CC. Semi-structured interviews with SME owners, managers, and employees provide insightful information on the particular problems SMEs have while managing access control in the cloud. The study's findings add to the body of knowledge by identifying the particular difficulties encountered by SMEs in this field.giving significant insights for enhancing access control security in CC for SMEs. Understanding these challenges allows SMEs to devise effective strategies and put in place robust access control systems to safeguard their sensitive data and resources. This study aims to bridge the gap in understanding and provide practical recommendations to enhance access control security in CC for the SME sector.