scholarly journals Migration and Migrants Entrepreneurial Skills in South Africa: Assets or Liabilities?

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivence Kalitanyi ◽  
Kobus Visser
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills

“No TEBA …Forget TEBA”: The Plight of Malawian Ex-migrant Workers to South Africa, 1988–1994

1997 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
South African ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Rural Economy ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
The South ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Socioeconomic Transformation

This article is about the process of socioeconomic transformation in rural Malawi. It examines the survival strategies and enterprising spirit of Malawian migrant workers and their households. It argues that the strategies of these people often went beyond survival in the provision of basic necessities. Those who had the economic drive and entrepreneurial skills were able to use the proceeds of labor migration to improve their own and their households’ socioeconomic life. In March 1988, the South African Chamber of Mines stopped a century-old tradition of recruiting migrant workers from Malawi. This has arrested and put to a halt a process of accumulation taking place in the households of the returned migrant workers in the rural economy. Thus, the effects of the retrenchment of the workers will spread from the migrant and his family through the economic and social wellspring of all sectors of rural communities and their commercial lives.

scholarly journals Measuring the effectiveness of the women entrepreneurship programme on potential, start-up and established women entrepreneurs in South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melodi Botha ◽  
Gideon Niemann ◽  
Jurie Van Vuuren
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Training Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Experimental Group

The Women Entrepreneurship Programme (WEP) was developed after a need had been identifiedfor such a training intervention. The WEP provides entrepreneurial and business management training to women entrepreneurs. This empirical paper measures the effectiveness of the WEP after the respondents had been through the training intervention. The sample consists of 180 women entrepreneurs, where 116 respondents form the experimental group and 64 respondents the control group. Factor analysis is presented and several statistical tests executed to present the statistically significant differences between the two groups in the sample. The findings highlight the WEP delegates’ acquisition of new entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Furthermore, the respondents reported an increase in the number of employees, turnover, productivity and profit. It was statistically proven that the WEP is effective in training potential, start-up and established women entrepreneurs in South Africa.

scholarly journals Risk factors for failure in newly established small, micro and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province, South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
Zeleke Worku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
The South ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Networking Ability ◽  
Tourism Enterprises

The annual report issued for the financial year 2013/2014 by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2015) shows that the business confidence index of South Africa was equal to 89.3% in January 2015. According to the South African National Department of Tourism (2015), the tourism sector contributed 93 Billion Rand (3%) to the South African GDP in the year 2012. The contribution of the tourism sector was equal to 189.4 Billion Rand in the year 2009. This figure is projected to grow to 499 Billion Rand by the year 2020. According to the South African Small Enterprise Development Agency (2015), newly established and emerging business enterprises conducting business in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province are less viable and efficient in comparison with well-established tourism enterprises. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify risk factors for underperformance and bankruptcy in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province in South Africa. The study was based on data collected from a stratified random sample of size 311 tourism enterprises that operate in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data was collected on a large number of socio-economic factors that adversely affect entrepreneurial activities in the tourism sector of Gauteng Province. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analyses was used in the study. Examples of variables on which data was gathered was level of entrepreneurial skills, level of formal education, location of business, duration of experience, amount of capital, number of employees, ability to network with other tourist operators, degree of competition from rival operators, geographical location, category of business, category of entrepreneurial skills, average number of visitors per month, net profit, size of business, market share, access to finance, and degree of support from Government agencies. Results obtained from the study showed that the long-term survival and viability of African entrepreneurs in the tourism industry of Gauteng Province was significantly and adversely affected by the degree of competition from rival operators, poor networking ability, lack of entrepreneurial skills, low capital, and geographical location. The study found that African entrepreneurs in the tourism industry of Gauteng Province lagged behind their white counterparts significantly in terms of networking ability, capital and entrepreneurial skills. In addition, 82% of the 311 African entrepreneurs who participated in the study lacked suitable skills due to their poor and irrelevant academic and vocational background, and that 59% of entrepreneurs had received little or no assistance in terms of mentoring or training opportunities from South African Government agencies.

scholarly journals Factors that affect customer loyalty in small enterprises

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeleke Worku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Quality Of Services ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Potential Customers ◽  
Variance Explained ◽  
Satisfactory Quality

The study was conducted by collecting the data from 608 customers of migrant retailers working in the retail industry of Pretoria West in South Africa in order to identify socioeconomic factors that affect customer loyalty. Data was collected from eligible respondents by using a pre-tested, validated and standardised questionnaire of study that was self-administered by respondents. The study found that about 69% of customers were loyal to their retailers. About 68% of customers had a favorable attitude towards their retailers. About 68% of retailers used appropriate promotional measures for marketing their goods to potential customers. About 69% of retailers provided their customers with satisfactory quality of services. About 67% of customers were loyal to their retailers’ brands. Factor analysis was used for extracting 3 influential predictors of customer loyalty. These factors were entrepreneurial skills, marketing skills, and selling price. The percentage of variance explained by the 3 extracted factors was equal to 92.58%.

scholarly journals The changing landscape of the spaza retail outlet amongst black South Africans

2021 ◽  
pp. 12-23
Author(s):  
Shaka Yesufu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Black People ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Background Characteristics ◽  
Retail Outlet ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills

The Spaza retail outlet is predominately found in South Africa’s black populated areas or townships. It also has a historical significance to it because, during the apartheid years, black people were not allowed to move freely by the white minority rule. This study is qualitative research where the author carried out an extensive literature review to look first, at the background, characteristics, challenges, and future directions that affect the Spaza micro businesses in South Africa. The research aims to first highlight the importance of micro-businesses. Second, to highlight the need for South Africa’s government initiatives to support small businesses for sustainable growth of the economy and to explore whether this support is far-reaching enough to protect the Spaza retail shops. The authors rely on Karl Marx's theory of class struggle as the theory informing the study. Some of the findings are: Spaza owners need to be more trained in business management, entrepreneurial skills, advertisement, social networking and marketing research, accounting and bookkeeping, technology, and innovation concerning promoting their businesses. The Spaza's annual revenue stream for the South Africa government currently stands at 5.2 % of the GDP.

scholarly journals Barriers to the development of entrepreneurial activities in newly established small, micro and medium sized enterprises in Tshwane

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-331
Author(s):  
Zeleke Worku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Supervisory Support ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Long Term Survival ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The City

The purpose of the study was to identify and quantify differential factors that are known to adversely affect sustained growth and development in newly established Small, Micro and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMMEs) conducting business in and around Tshwane in South Africa. The study is based on a 5-year follow-up study (2007 to 2012) of a random sample of 349 small business enterprises that operate in and around the City of Pretoria in South Africa. Data was gathered from each of the businesses on socioeconomic factors that are known to affect the long-term survival of small businesses. The objective of the study was to identify and quantify key predictors of viability and long term survival. The study found that 188 of the 349 businesses that took part in the study (54%) were not viable, and that the long-term survival and viability of small businesses was adversely affected by lack of entrepreneurial skills, lack of supervisory support to newly established businesses, and inability to operators running newly established businesses to acquire relevant vocational skills

scholarly journals Risk factors for failure in small businesses in the footwear and textile industry of Gauteng Province, South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Zeleke Worku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Proportional Hazards ◽  
Proportional Hazards Model ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Hazards Model

The study was based on the 5-yearlong study (2007 to 2012) of Small, Micro and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) that conduct business in Gauteng Province, South Africa conducted by Marivate (2014) from 2007 to 2012. The sample consisted of 187 businesses (36.52%) that utilized financial services routinely provided by the South African Small Enterprises Development Agency (SEDA), and 325 businesses (63.48%) that utilized non-financial services provided by SEDA. Out of the 187 businesses that utilized financial services, 85.42% of them were viable, whereas 14.58% of them were not viable. Out of the 325 businesses that utilized non-financial services, 43.25% of them were viable, whereas 56.75% of them were not viable. The degree of entrepreneurial skills in each of the 512 businesses that were selected for the study was measured by using a composite index defined by Le Brasseur, Zannibbi & Zinger (2013). The multilevel logistic regression model (Hosmer and Lemeshow) was used for identifying and quantifying predictors of utilization of financial and non-financial services provided by SEDA to SMMEs. Predictors of long-term survival were estimated by using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model (Cleves, Gould & Gutierrez, 2004). The results showed that the 187 businesses that utilized financial services (36.52%) were relatively more viable in comparison with businesses that utilized non-financial services (63.48%). Results obtained from the Cox Proportional Hazards Model showed that long-term viability in the 512 businesses that were selected for the study was significantly influenced by utilization of financial services, degree of entrepreneurial skills, and the ability to order large volumes of stock in bulk, in a decreasing order of strength. The top 3 predictors of utilization of financial services in the 187 businesses that utilized financial services were degree of entrepreneurial skills, the ability to order large volumes of stock in bulk, and access to training opportunities on entrepreneurial or vocational skills, in a decreasing order of strength. The top 3 predictors of utilization of non-financial services in the 325 businesses that utilized non-financial services were the age of business, past history of bankruptcy, and the practice of selling on credit, in a decreasing order of strength.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial Inclination: South African Youth's Mental Attitude towards starting Tourism Business

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4(J)) ◽  
pp. 144-152
Author(s):  
Ikechukwu O. Ezeuduji ◽  
Sibusiso D. Ntshangase
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intention ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Mental Attitude ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
African Youth ◽  
Risk Takers

This study assessed the tourism entrepreneurial intention of South African youth, and the mental attitude of those who have this intention. It used questionnaire survey to gather data from 207 youth resident in Mtubatuba Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, to address the study objectives. Data analyses reveal that a significant percentage of the youth have tourism entrepreneurial intention. Those who perceive themselves as entrepreneurial individuals and willing to start tourism businesses in the future exhibit some distinct mindset. This mental attitude depicts these individuals to be innovative, transformational, risk takers, persistence, strong-minded, visionary, optimistic, and goal-getters. The South African Government, through its Department of Labour, need to optimize its strategic and operational plans to support these entrepreneurial youth in acquiring business education and entrepreneurial skills, to empower them realise their dreams of starting and managing their own businesses. This will help curb the high rate of unemployment in South Africa, especially among the youth.

The Role of HEIs in an Entrepreneurial Renaissance in South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon J.P. Maas ◽  
Mike Herrington
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Easy Task ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Socio Economic Development

For decades, entrepreneurs have been identified as critical change agents in socio-economic development. It is probably safe to say that some countries have had more success than others in the promotion of entrepreneurship; and in that context it can be argued that South Africa's successes are not yet clear. The promotion of entrepreneurship through the involvement of higher education institutions (HEIs) is by no means an easy task, but they have an important role to play. Although South African HEIs are focusing on various elements of entrepreneurship promotion, there is no clear evidence of an integrated effort from HEIs to develop entrepreneurial skills and activity. The authors argue that without such an integrated effort entrepreneurship development in South Africa is likely to be constrained.

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