M.Comm. / Hierdie studie het ten doel om die volgende te bereik: Om 'n oorsig te bied oor die geskiedenis van KMMO's in Suid-Afrika Om 'n kritiese beskouing te bied oor die makro- en mikro- ekonomiese omgewing waarbinne KMMO's in 'n hedendaagse Suid-Afrika funksioneer Gegrond op die voorafgaande doelwitte, om hipotese stellings te formuleer wat die basis sal vorm vir 'n model vir die bemagtiging en instaatstelling van KMMO's in Suid-Afrika, met die oog op verdere studie.

M.B.A. / With South Africa's formal economy creating only a trickle of new jobs, the small business sector would seem the only opportunity for our legions of unemployment. Despite this need the South African financial system in which both bankers and government guarantee agencies, still shy away from the sector most in need of capital. Aspiring entrepreneurs without capital or a proven track record running a business can prove difficult, The greatest challenge facing small business in South Africa, whether in its initial stage or through its growth stage, is the difficulty of obtaining finance from the banks or other financial institutions. When George Smith started his business in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg in 1990, he entered into a partnership with his brother. They acquired a convenience store from Metcash Ltd., one of the biggest retail companies on the Johannesburg .Stock Exchange. Jazz Stores closed all its branches country wide due to major losses incurred (Smith, 1999). As young entrepreneurs they had a vision that a convenience store at a taxi rank could be profitable. Their biggest constraint was the lack of capital to finance the purchasing of the store, nevertheless the store was reopened soon after the purchase and the revamping was done in stages. Thanks to some of their friends and family who helped them financially...

Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) has evidently moved beyond the jurisdictions of academia and begun its ascension to the top of the corporate agenda. CSR is no longer considered a ‗by the way‘ but as a concept to be aligned to a company‘s strategy. The participation of businesses in CSR activities is especially vital in the developing world where the socio-economic needs of the communities are vast. Companies realise they cannot succeed in communities that fail, and CSR is seen as the most direct way to improve communities. With the immense importance of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in any economy, this study explores their limited participation in CSR, which will later be redefined as Communal Business Practices (CBP). An in-depth interview between the author and the manager/owner of a SMME was used to isolate four factors upon which the sub-problems were developed. These factors were Pressure from the Public, Resource Constraints, Scale of Activity, and Visibility. A questionnaire built on these factors was developed and distributed to various SMME managers /owners in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Western Cape provinces to explore their opinions on the participation of SMMEs in CBPs. Of the 97% of respondents who believed it was their responsibility to empower their communities, only 43% said they participated in CBPs. It was discovered that SMMEs do not feel pressure from the public to partake in CBPs like their larger counterparts. Instead resource constraints were identified as the most common barrier to SMME participation in CBPs. On the issue of visibility, most SMMEs felt they were not visible enough to benefit from improved legitimacy and reputational effects as larger companies do. On the problem of scale of activity, respondents felt it is proportional to the scale of CBP participation but not a barrier to participation The author concludes the study by putting forward some recommendations to increase the participation of SMMEs in social responsibility activities.

In view of the important role that small businesses play in the economic development of most economies in the world, including South Africa (Adeniran & Johnston, 2012:4088; Kongolo, 2010:2290), as well as the survival challenges that they face, the purpose of this study was to propose a framework for effective mentoring. This framework can be used to develop the business management skills of black small business owner–managers which will eventually increase the survival of small businesses in South Africa. As such, the primary objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the conditions required for effective mentoring of black-owned small businesses by empirically identifying the factors that influence effective mentoring of these businesses. If mentoring programmes for black-owned small businesses can be effective, the high failure rate of these businesses could be reduced, which may influence the South African economy positively. This study sought to review previous findings and theories on mentoring and small business development, and then contextualise these to black-owned small businesses. A comprehensive literature review revealed potential factors which could influence the effectiveness of mentoring of black-owned small businesses. Four categories of these factors were identified, namely relational-based, non-relational based, cultural and demographical factors. These factors guided the collection of primary data in this study.

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the Degree of PhD (Marketing) at the University of the Witwatersrand September 2016 / Purpose: The impact of the mandate type used and real estate agents’ ideological outlook on conflict of interests and compromising of principals’ interests together with their effect on the ultimate outcomes has largely been ignored in the South African real estate industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dual mandate system and ideology on the outcomes to buyers and sellers of properties. This was achieved by investigating their influence on the conflict of interests and compromising the interests of the principals and how these in turn lead to suboptimal outcomes for the industry. Method: Stratified random sampling was used for information gathering. Data were collected using face-to-face filling in of the survey instrument and 204 participants agreed to take part in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to assess the reliability and validity of the results. Findings: The results reveal that the dual mandate system and ideological persuasion of actors in the real estate industry does positively impact on conflict of interests and also compromises the interests of the principals. Conflict of interests and compromising principals interests have also been found to negatively affect the resultant outcomes for the principals. Practical implications: The dual mandate system should be reconsidered with the view of revising or changing it altogether. Also, practices of real estate agents should be closely monitored by relevant authorities to ensure that they do not disadvantage other consumers. Insights gained from this study provide the basis for future policy-making by government and for academic activity on training of new real estate agents. The findings of this study are expected to assist the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) as the custodians of licensing of real estate agents. Research limitations: The participants were all from Gauteng Province which might limit generalizability prospects to other provinces. Also, some respondents might have given biased responses by attempting to prove that they were not ignorant of how the industry operates. Key concepts: Dual mandate system, Ideological outlook, Conflict of interests, compromising of principals and Outcomes. / MT2017

A research report presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Master of Arts in Social Development March, 2016 / Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now moving beyond being peripheral to business to becoming an integral part of it. Although there is a sizeable amount of literature on CSR, there is still no standard and agreed definition of CSR. The way CSR must be implemented and evaluated also remains a topic of debate. This gap is problematic as increasingly governments are involving corporations to address the inequalities that exist in society. At the same time several studies suggest that organizations struggle to have robust and effective CSR practices within their organizations. In South Africa, several legislations have been put in place to indirectly involve the private sector to address the inequalities arising out of the Apartheid and the BBBEE Act of 2003 has been instrumental in shaping the developmental path of post-apartheid South Africa, thus making implementation and reporting of CSI initiatives more important than ever before. The study sought to explore the nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of the Sanlam Foundation in the Western Cape, South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative case study design and the study population consisted of officials drawn from Sanlam Foundation and its implementing organizations. Participants were drawn from Sanlam Foundation’s implementing partners and key informants who are senior officials of the Sanlam Foundation also participated in the study. A sample of eight participants and two key informants and were drawn using purposive sampling. Semi structured interview schedules were used to collect data using face to face interviews with both participants and key informants. The findings revealed that monitoring, evaluation and reporting of CSR initiatives remain the biggest challenge in implementing of CSR initiatives. The findings also establish that there remains a gap in the NGOs’ and funder’s understanding of the reporting content. Measuring and expressing qualitative impact is a challenge for NGOs. The report recommends that both funders and partners must understand the implications of monitoring and evaluation of programmes. It also emphasizes the need to have simplified discussions with partners at inception to understand their views and develop project specific reporting templates that justify project specific impact. It is anticipated that the research findings will enable Sanlam Foundation and other companies to strengthen their CSR activities.

Thesis (MTech (Cost and Management Accounting))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Background: Research has shown that a high percentage of SMMEs in South Africa are not sustainable, most of them failing in their infancy stage. In order to make sound decisions and achieve desirable results, owners/managers need to make use of budgets in managing their businesses. Utilisation of budgets is the core of financial planning and decision-making in manufacturing enterprises. Lack of utilisation of budgets in managing businesses can lead to business failure. There is need to conduct a study on the utilisation of budgets by SMEs in the manufacturing industry. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which SMEs in the manufacturing industry in the Cape Metropolis use budgets for managing their businesses. This was achieved by determining whether the SMEs in the manufacturing industry used budgets or not, what types of budgets were used, the purposes for which the budgets were used and what challenges if any were faced by these SMEs when using budgets. Methodology: Data was collected from 108 respondents by means of a questionnaire comprising closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse the data in SPSS version 24. Frequency tables and pie charts were used to present the findings. Findings: The findings of the study reveal that most SMEs in the manufacturing industry in the Cape Metropolis use budgets for managing their businesses. The SMEs prepare budgets which are used for various purposes. The SMEs however face challenges when utilising budgets. Recommendations: Future interventions by Department of Small Business Development on financial planning should focus more on micro and very small enterprises. Other categories of enterprises may apply this information and emulate the utilisation of budgets from the SMEs in the manufacturing industry as they strive to survive and grow.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Engineering. 9 August 2019 / Lean startup is a new concept that was initially developed to help startups grow their business in a more effective and scientific way. The methodology has some elements that are in contrast to the way businesses or new ventures are traditionally run. While the lean startup methods have been proven in industry, the academic research especially within a South African context has been minimal. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which lean startup principles have been applied across industry in South Africa and how these have been used in conjunction with the corporate and operations strategy. From the research it was found that while South African professionals may be familiar with the concept, the application of the concept in its full form is limited. Participants also at times applied the concepts without having full awareness that the concepts were part of the lean startup methodology. A number of participants used the methodology to help develop the business and operations strategy. Participants also typically saw the value in the concepts for application across industry as long as the right structures are in place to help support the initiative. / E.R. 2019

This study identified and examined the nature and extent of external factors influencing growth and development of selected SMMEs in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The importance of the research lies in the contribution of its findings and recommendations to ensure the survival of SMMEs. The target population was identified as 300 owners of SMMEs in Durban, KwaZulu­ Natal, with a sample of 169 selected on a convenience basis, to which a questionnaire was distributed. Regardless of the problems experienced by SMMEs, it is vital to stimulate their growth and development, as this sector is likely to be the job creators of the future South Africa, as well as the providers of a continuation level of employment opportunities (Antonie, 2010). The rate at which SMMEs spring up is encouraging, considering that one of the cardinal goals of establishing SMMEs, is the eradication of unemployment and poverty. It was found that, not all of the respondents understand the potential of SMMEs to gain a competitive advantage; however, the majority agreed that Durban is an accessible and convenient location to do business, and that Government should partner with SMMEs in job creation and poverty alleviation. In addition, more than 80 percent of the respondents believe SMMEs will thrive with more access to loans and financial support. More than half of the respondents indicated that they often need to bribe government officials in the process of obtaining a business license and/or registration, while the findings also show that, when the process is fair, open and transparent, respondents believe it facilitates SMME growth and development. Recommendations on how factors identified can be better managed, so as to support, rather than negate, SMMEs' quest for growth and development, include government facilitation of workshops, and more visible training. / M

M.Comm. / The growth and development of the small. medium and microenterprise (SMME) sector is acknowledged by most interest groups and policy makers as being of critical importance to South Africa's ability to address the serious problems of unemployment. However research that has been conducted recently shows that the major factor that impedes the establishment and success of businesses is the lack of capital. which is ascribed to a lack of own funds and a lack of assets, especially fixed assets. which could serve as security-to obtain loans and bank overdrafts. Further. current levels of investments in SMMEs are inadequate for achieving the growth levels anticipated in the GEAR strategy. This problem is even more prevalent mainly in the areas of the previously disadvantaged. The purpose of this dissertation is therefore to identify the role of commercial banks in financing SMMEs in the Greater Soweto. This purpose stems from the fact that SMMEs have a major role to play in the South African economy in terms of employment creation. income generation and output growth. SMMEs are also often a vehicle through which the lowest-income people in our society gain access to economic opportunities at a time that distribution of income and wealth in South Africa is amongst the most unequal in the world. Commercial banks are profit-seeking and risk-averse institutions. They need to satisfy themselves in respect of the financial stability of the SMMEs that seek funds from them. To this effect, management procedures of the SMMEs that seek funds have to be acceptable and recognised by the commercial banks from which funds are sought. In light of this. practices of planning. organising, directing and controlling of the SMMEs are some of the key features over which SMMEs have control. It can also indicate their risk profiles to the commercial banks.Over and above the management procedures. SMMEs have to keep proper financial statements that clearly reveal the SMMEs' financial position. financial performances. growth plans and resources required to achieve those plans. This information is also important not only to commercial banks but also to other non-banking institutions that help SMMEs financially to evaluate their risk profiles. These other non-banking institutions could be less concerned about the risk profiles of the SMMEs but rather be more concerned about their development. The findings of this study reveal that while most SMMEs use the services of the commercial banks in one or other respect, they still have difficulty in obtaining finance. The main reason for the lack of finance is considered to be discrimination on the part of the commercial banks. However, other factors contribute to the difficulty in obtaining finance. These are a lack of understanding by banks and the fact that other than banks, there are not many other alternative sources of finance available to SMMEs in Soweto. The fact that most SM-MEs have had low pastnet profits and low owner's contribution is another reason. It is recommended that managements of the SMMEs improve their managerial skills on aspects of financing, financial information preparation, calculation of capital requirements and related matters. It is also recommended that commercial banks study the reasons offered by the respondents as to why they perceive them to be discriminatory in allocating funds to the previously disadvantaged SMMEs. It is therefore recommended that commercial banks seek to liminate this perception by means of a substantial public relations campaign that will bring together the commercial banks and the SMMEs concerned to discuss possible solutions to the problems at hand.