Text in English / The thesis is a grounded analysis that seeks to understand small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMME) in the ICT sector that are particularly driven by women entrepreneurs in the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela metropolitan municipalities of the Eastern Cape Province. Small businesses in the ICT sector owned and driven by women are still an understudied topic in South Africa, since there is not much literature that covers the topic from either a quantitative, or a qualitative perspective. The Eastern Cape Province is not an exception to the dearth of literature that focuses on SMME women-driven entrepreneurship in the ICT sector. The research interest of this research project emphasises the gap pertaining to the unavailability of gender-disaggregated data that indicates, for example: i) The number of women-owned ICT enterprises; ii) The nature of women-driven entrepreneurial activity in the ICT sector; iii) Evidence of how competitive women-owned ICT enterprises are; iv) Sustainable job creation by these ICT enterprises; iv) Availability of women with ICT skills; and v) Women who are occupying ICT core positions. These factors strengthen the case for employing a grounded approach to explore this substantive area of investigation. The researcher has no doubt that this study is one of the first studies to examine women-driven entrepreneurship of SMMEs in the ICT sector of the Eastern Cape Province, hence the adoption of a Multi-Grounded Theory (MGT) approach. This methodology is anchored in a qualitative approach that explores this phenomenon about which little is known. A moderate constructivist and interpretive approach guided by the voices of women entrepreneurs was employed to provide a meaningful account that added depth and breadth to the description and explanation of the status quo in relation to women-driven entrepreneurship in SMMEs. Emerging data from in-depth interviews conducted with 12 SMME women entrepreneurs and two experts from the ICT industry was matched with the two theories of entrepreneurship and cyberfeminism. These theories provided a theoretical lens through which data could be analysed and interpreted. This empirical and theory driven approach assisted in grounding the substantive theory. The research objectives provided answers to the empirical research questions that sought to gain an in-depth understanding of women entrepreneurs‘ perspective about: i) Conceptualisation of entrepreneurship and ICT technology as a concept; ii) Conceptualisation of the ICT sector; iii) The perceived importance of the ICT sector as an enabler in promoting SMME women-driven entrepreneurship; iv) How SMME women entrepreneurs use ICT as a core product and service; and v) The role played by government and the private sector in promoting SMME women-driven entrepreneurship in the ICT sector of the Eastern Cape Province. The findings uncovered concerns that women entrepreneurs perceived as having an influence on women-driven entrepreneurship. The findings included the manner in which women entrepreneurs responded to these issues. The findings for example, highlighted gender sensitivity issues which were of great concern to women entrepreneurs. Gender discrimination was amongst the key issues identified that lead to women‘s marginalisation inside the ICT sector, this entailing: i) ICT underrepresentation in core ICT environments; ii) Inaccessible tender opportunities; iii) Inaccessible funding; iv) Limited ICT knowledge and skills; and v) Lack of technical support. Considering the fact that SMME women-driven entrepreneurship within the ICT sector is on the radar screen of both government and the private sector‘s developmental agenda, the gap in research and literature presented a case that the study intended to address by developing a substantive theory which could contribute toward the transformative change in SMME women-driven entrepreneurship in the ICT sector of the province. / Communication Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

This study was undertaken to investigate the motivation, intention, self-efficacy, culture, business support,entrepreneurial orientation and business performance of South African and immigrant entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Gauteng province. The performance of the SMEs was investigated, and the reasons and gaps that have led to the assumed low competitive ranking and poor performance of South African entrepreneurs compared to immigrant entrepreneurs were analysed. A structured research instrument (questionnaire) was used to collect data through interviews and a self-administered survey. A total of 466 questionnaires out of 500 questionnaires that had been distributed to respondents by six fieldworkers were returned (93.2%) for analysis.A number of hypotheses were postulated to address the study aims and the collected data were analysed to answer the hypotheses. The results of the study showed a significant correlation between motivation and business performance (a motivated entrepreneur is more likely to succeed in business than an unmotivated entrepreneur) and a significant positive correlation between culture and motivation to start a business (a culture that is supportive of entrepreneurial activities, lowuncertainty avoidance, high individualism and lowpower distance relates positively to a high level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy).The results also showed a significant difference between the mean values of business performance and the education of the owner. It is suggested that the government creates a favourable climate to allow entrepreneurs to release their potential. The government can help by making complex legislation easier for start-ups and reducing the tax burden on new entrepreneurs. / Business Management / D. Comm. (Business Management)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Constant and aggressive change is a characteristic that has shaped our present day life and occurs at all levels of society. In a new South Africa, an entrepreneurial approach has become a means of survival. Modern day South Africans have been compelled to adopt an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset in order to function optimally. For the higher education sector, this has meant the commercialisation of many aspects of their operations due to yearly cuts in subsidy allocations. Stellenbosch University is not exempt from this and is also affected by these cuts. The goal of this study is therefore to provide an internationally researched conceptual model and process for commercialising academic research at Stellenbosch University. This will require the adoption of an entrepreneurial mindset which views research differently from its traditional mode. By moving away from an academic view of research, new partnerships, opportunities and outcomes become possible, from which new revenue avenues could be opened. The question arises as to what technological innovations are likely to result in commercial success and what route should a university then take to successfully commercialise their research findings? Finding practical answers to these questions could provide a platform from which a university can make accurate and timely decisions with regards to the commercialisation of its academic research. Accurate decision-making is therefore an essential tool in the management of this process. Commercialisation is not viable without first creating an innovative mindset and platform. These cannot be created without first understanding the concept of newness. Consistent newness requires continuous innovation, from which academic entrepreneurship then stems. The successful commercialisation of this entrepreneurship can then be understood by considering the various concepts and basic components involved in commercialisation. A broad look at literature provided the basis for this platform from which a model could then be constructed. In constructing the model, the key components were first identified. Secondly, a brief look at four different commercialsiation models provided an overview of the thought pattems involved in such a process. The synthesis of these components and models culminated in a conceptual model for commercialisation within the Stellenbosch University environment. This model included the tangible and intangible side of commercialisation, incorporating organisational mindset, attitudes and culture. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Konstante en omvattende verandering is 'n kenmerk van die eietydse samelewing en raak alle sosiale vlakke. 'n Entrepreneuriese benadering het in die nuwe Suid-Afrika 'n middel tot oorlewing geword. Eietydse Suid-Afrikaners word genoodsaak om innoverend en ondernemend te wees ten einde optimaal te kan funksioneer. Dit impliseer dat tersiere instellings byvoorbeeld baie van hul bedrywighede moet kommersialiseer, weens toenemende besnoeiings in subsidiering. Die Universiteit van Stellenbosch word insgelyks deur hierdie besnoeiings geraak. Die doel van hierdie studie is die ontwerp van 'n konsepsuele model en proses vir kommersialisering van akademiese navorsing vir die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, gebaseer op internasionale navorsing. Dit vereis 'n entrepreneuriese denkwyse wat navorsing anders benader as in die verlede. Deur weg te beweeg van 'n suiwer akademiese siening van navorsing, word nuwe vennootskappe, geleenthede en uitkomste moontlik, en skep sodoende ook nuwe bronne van inkomste. Tegniese innoverings wat prakties en uitvoerbaar is kan moontlik as platform dien vir hierdie kommersialisering. Dit veronderstel toepaslike besluitneming as noodsaaklike middel in die bestuur van die proses. 'n Nadere deurskouing van konsepte onderliggend aan suksesvolle kommersialisering van entrepreneurskap, tesame met 'n bree oorsig van navorsing in hierdie verband, het die basis gevorm vir die ontwerp van 'n model. Kernkomponente is eerstens identifiseer. Bestaande modelle het tweedens 'n oorsig van denkpatrone oor die ontwerp van so 'n proses gebied. 'n Sintese van hierdie komponente en modelle het kulmineer in 'n konsepsuele model vir kommersialisering binne die Universiteit van Stellenbosch omgewing. Hierdie model sluit die praktiese deel van kommersialisering, sowel as die ontasbare deel, naamlik organisatoriese denkwyses, houdings en kultuur in.

M. Tech. Business Administration / The aim of this research is to investigate how immigrant entrepreneurs make use of family support as an enabler for entrepreneurial activity to lead business success. It also looks at the role of the family in the business.

The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of the interventions used by the South African Breweries (SAB) KickStart Programme to establish and grow entrepreneurial small businesses among young South Africans. South Africa has an extremely high unemployment rate, low economic growth and a dismal Total (early-stage) Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA). With regard to established businesses (older than three-and-a-half years), the GEM report of 2005 ranked South Africa the lowest of all the countries surveyed. The SAB KickStart Programme comprises five phases: an awareness campaign, recruitment and training, a business plan competition for grants, success enhancement and national awards. The following interventions form part of the programme: the General Enterprising Tendency (GET) test; two-week live-in business management training; funding and mentoring; and a national competition for prize money. At every stage, adjudication is based on business plans and presentations. The evaluation of the effectiveness of an existing entrepreneurship programme, the SAB KickStart Programme, has several advantages, in so far as it determines whether the programme does indeed attain its objectives, and could help to improve the structuring of such programmes for future use by other corporations in South Africa. The population for the study comprised all the participants of the SAB KickStart Programme, from 2001 to 2006. A questionnaire was developed and a response rate of 28.5% was realised. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the turnover and percentage profit figures of respondents to investigate the significance of the type of SAB KickStart support afforded. The results were confirmed by the Bonferroni multiple comparison of means test. The deduction is that funding and mentoring, after training, adds value to the programme. Eighty per cent of the SAB KickStarters were still operating their initial businesses, which they owned when they started on the programme, while a further six per cent had started another business, hence a "failure" rate of only 14 per cent. Many other meaningful findings emerged. In conclusion, it can be said that the SAB KickStart Programme adds value and advances entrepreneurship, and could possibly be applied by other large institutions in South Africa In conclusion, it can be said that the SAB KickStart programme adds value and advances entrepreneurship, and can be elevated to other large institutions in South Africa. / Business Management / D.Comm. (Business Management)

1 online resource (viii, 155 leaves) / This study explores the ways in which female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa use their cellular phones, as well as their interests and needs in using this technology. The findings in this study are therefore crucial to the body of knowledge on programmes that seek to uplift women's lives through the deployment of ICTs, since current policies do not make full provision for the use of mobile phones in female entrepreneurship. Information on female entrepreneurs and cellular phones was collected in the literature review. The scrutiny of various literature sources and the analysis of the responses from the interviews with the female entrepreneurs were carried out to arrive at answers to the following research questions: 1. Can telecommunications (specifically, cellular phones) increase the participation of women in the economy? 2. What are the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? 3. Are the communication needs of business women in Zambia and South Africa adequately met? 4. What are the obstacles that female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa face in the use of cellular phones? 5. What are the similarities and differences in the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? In order to gather information on the consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa, a survey was conducted of 100 female entrepreneurs. The female entrepreneurs identified in this survey consist of female business owners with no more than 50 employees each, from Gauteng Province in South Africa, and Lusaka Province in Zambia. The female entrepreneurs were identified through the accidental sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information from them. The findings of the investigation reveal that cellular phones have the potential to increase the participation of women in mainstream economic activity, since they are a useful means of communication that allow women from diverse backgrounds to communicate easily for both business and social purposes. Accordingly, national policy-makers in South Africa and Zambia need to investigate further the potential of using cellular phone or similar technology to empower small-scale businesswomen. The investigation also shows that the cellular phone consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa differ when it comes to using cellular phones for business and social communication purposes. More Zambian women indicated that they use their cellular phones in business operations, while South African women showed a tendency to use their phones more for social purposes. The results of this investigation further illustrate that despite the importance in value which the mobile phone has for women entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa, the communication needs of women's entrepreneurship are not adequately met. The main obstacles in meeting the communication needs of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa are inadequate network coverage and high prices. The study shows that a number of women (52,2%) indicated that they are inhibited from effective communication services and therefore resort to borrowing other people's mobile phones. The lack of empirical studies on the use of telecommunications by female entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa attests to the fact that women's entrepreneurship is still an area that requires in-depth investigation. If various development efforts are to meet their targets, clearly the area of women's entrepreneurship and how various ICTs such as cellular phones are used therein needs urgent investigation. / Communication Sciences / M. A. (International Communication)

Considering the backward and forward linkages, the agro-industrial sector contributes about 12 percent of South Africa‘s GDP, and employs approximately 8.5 million people. In the Eastern Cape Province, the sector contributes about 1.9 percent of the Provincial GDP, and over 3 million people derive their livelihoods from subsistence smallholder farming. Despite its importance, agricultural productivity has stagnated for several years across the Eastern Cape rural communities. There have been several attempts by the government to improve the agricultural productivity on smallholder farms since the end of apartheid, especially through the establishment of small-scale irrigation schemes, subsidization of farm inputs, and provision of credit facilities and enacting a number of land reform policies. In spite of the government support, most rural communities like Qamata and Tyefu are still faced with high levels of poverty affecting 76 percent and 91 percent of the population, respectively. This research evaluated the current smallholders‘ production efficiency, and the link between smallholder farmers‘ human dimensions (entrepreneurial spirit and positive psychological capital, goals and social capital, and other efficiency related variables) with production efficiency and household commercialisation index/level. The study used participatory approaches for site selection, sample selection and data collection. The analysis was based on both information from informal interviews and formal primary data collection. The Data Envelopment Analysis and Stochastic Production Frontier techniques were used to determine the relative efficiencies of individual farmers and to identify the major factors that influence the efficiency of production. Overall, 158 farmers were interviewed both at Qamata and Tyefu irrigation schemes. Descriptive statistics of this study indicated that most of the farmers were men with an average age of 61 years, and mean household size of 4 persons with the household head having at least obtained some primary school education. Farming is the major source of livelihood for smallholders with an average income of R4527.49 per crop season. Smallholders use improved seeds, fertilizers and tractor for ploughing with less use of pesticides and herbicides. Although smallholder irrigators generate more gross margins from maize and cabbage enterprises, generally both categories of farmers exhibited a low average household commercialization index for maize and cabbage at 0.41 and 0.22, respectively. Both Data Envelopment Analysis and Stochastic Production Frontier results indicate that farmers are about 98 percent technically efficient in maize and cabbage enterprises, respectively. However, farmers were allocatively inefficient as they were under-utilizing seed and pesticides while over-utilizing inorganic fertilizers. Factors that are positively associated with technical efficiency in maize production included household size, farming experience, off-farm income, use of agro-chemical; gross margins and commercialisation level of maize output. Determinants of technical efficiency in cabbage enterprise included farming experience, amount of land owned, use of agro-chemicals, group membership and gross margins accrued to cabbage sales. Farmers‘ human dimensions that could be more positively and significantly associated with production, efficiency and household commercialisation level included risk taking (hope), innovativeness (confidence) and optimism for entrepreneurial/positive psychological capital. Farmers‘ goals included self-esteem and independence, and only external social capital which were identified to be more positively and significantly associated with farmers‘ production efficiency and commercialization level. The transition from homestead subsistence to commercial oriented small-scale irrigation farming is inevitable since smallholder irrigators earn more incomes from maize and cabbage and are relatively food secure. However, the key policy options that must be considered to address inefficiencies and improved commercialization level to aid the transition include: agricultural policies geared toward attracting youth in farming, improved quality of extension services, speeding up the land reform process, and formation of cooperatives and participatory policy formulation that takes full cognizance of the farmers‘ human dimensions. Since farmers‘ human dimensions as defined in the literature and this study are not things that are amenable to direct policy intervention, they can only be modified indirectly through policy actions that affect their determinants. This means that a number of the demographic and socio-economic characteristics such as age, sex and education level of household head, farming experience, size of land owned, crop incomes, source of water for irrigation and location of the irrigation scheme that govern the way people perceive reality and respond to them must be the focus of concerted policy actions over the medium to long term.

This study examined the motivation of entrepreneurs in starting a business. More specifically, it aimed to identify whether entrepreneurs have common motives for starting their own business, and to determine whether men and women have different reasons for becoming entrepreneurs. The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 101 entrepreneurs. A motivation scale and open-ended questions were used to measure motivation. The results indicated that men and women have various reasons for starting a business, and are primarily motivated by the need for independence, need for material incentives and the need for achievement. The need to contribute to the community was not an important motive. Comparatively, male entrepreneurs were more motivated by the need to give family security and to make a difference in the business, and female entrepreneurs were motivated more by the need to keep learning and the need for more money to survive. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

The aim of this study is to determine the role that innovation plays in economic development and how an economic environment can be created that is conducive to innovation. The urgent need for development in large parts of the world indicates the importance of the increase in innovative activities because innovation is indicated as the “engine of growth and development”. It was found that innovation takes place within an innovation system and should be studied from a system perspective. The system perspective implies that there are different participants and that these participants function individually but that they also interact (wittingly or unwittingly) with one another. The innovation system is defined as a system that includes the participants or actors and their activities and interactions, as well as the socio-economic environment within which these actors or participants function, which determine the innovative performance of the system. A system approach is therefore necessary to study the influence of innovation on development. The role that innovation plays in economic development has been established by means of the historical patterns of economic development and major innovations as well as an analysis of literature of empirical studies. The historical pattern indicates the importance of innovation for economic development, but literature revealed the complexity of the relationship due to the non-linear relationship among different actors or participants in an innovation system. The main determinants of innovation was identified and a conceptual, descriptive model for an innovation system was developed, indicating the different participants, their roles, the interaction among them, and the economic environment within which the participants function. The model was applied to the Mpumalanga province in South Africa as case study. Strengths and weaknesses were identified in the Mpumalanga innovation system and recommendations were made for the improvement of the Mpumalanga innovation system which in turn should lead to an improvement in the economic development of the province. / Economics / D.Comm. (Economics)

Owing to the fact that entrepreneurship is widely considered to be a mechanism for reducing unemployment, the purpose of the study was to assess whether final-year Commerce students in the predominantly rural provinces, the Eastern Cape Province and the Limpopo Province, have the intention to start their own businesses.The study draws heavily from entrepreneurial intent models and focuses on the relationship between three key variables, namely, exposure to entrepreneurship education, awareness of entrepreneurial support and social capital to establish whether they are related to the intention of final-year Commerce studentsto start their own businesses. The literature review concentrated on entrepreneurial intent and entrepreneurial intent models; government entrepreneurial support initiatives in South Africa and in other countries and their role in the development of entrepreneurial intent, emergence of new ventures and the growth of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs); entrepreneurship education and its role in enhancing entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial competencies and entrepreneurial intent;the influence of social capital on entrepreneurial intent and the different stages on the new venture life-cycle; and concludes with the link between entrepreneurship and the establishment of SMMEs. A survey was conducted among National Diploma (ND): Internal Auditing, Cost and Management Accounting and Financial information systems students (IAUD, CMA and FIS) (who had six months exposure to entrepreneurship education), ND: Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management (E/SBM) (who had three years exposure to entrepreneurship education) and ND: Management (without exposure to entrepreneurship education). The respondents for the study comprised 355 final year students of which 276 were from Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape Province and 79 were from Tshwane University of Technology (Polokwane Campus) in the LimpopoProvince.Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistics. The findings reveal that the majority of the respondents had the intention to start a business in the future.The entrepreneurial intent of the ND: E/SBM students was v stronger than the entrepreneurial intent of the ND: IAUD, CMA and FIS students and ND: Management students. Some significant relationships were found between entrepreneurial intent and the key variables of the study. / Business Management / D.Com. (Business Management)