The purpose of the study was to investigate the impediments to the expansion of small black owned businesses in Durban. The study was based on the assumption that small black owned businesses are not expanding in Durban despite the support from eThekwini Municipality, Government and Black Economic Empowerment policies. Participation in seminars, conferences and meetings in which barriers to the expansion of SMMEs were discussed also helped in data collection, and the questionnaires were also given to the small black owned businesses. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the small black business owners who have experience as small entrepreneurs. Websites of SMMEs like Khula and Ntsika were visited to establish the direction of SMMEs in Durban. Visits to eThekwini Municipality and South African Chamber of Commerce helped in gathering the information about the impediments to the expansion of small black entrepreneurs. The finding was that small black owned businesses are facing serious impediments such as lack of capital, lack of training and lack of government support. It was recommended that the UKZN-Graduate School of Business should provide small businesses development courses interpreted in both English and Zulu. It was also recommended that Government establish one central office for entrepreneurs to sort out licenses, tax and service contracts. It is recommended that South African Revenue Service to be a right place for sorting out licenses, tax and service contracts. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

The ANC government’s quest for economic transformation in the post-apartheid South Africa came up with black economic empowerment policy. Equal participation in the economy especially for the previously disadvantaged was one of the stated aims of black economic empowerment. This study discusses black entrepreneurs’ perceptions of business transformation in Durban in the context of lack economic empowerment. Qualitative interviews were conducted with fourteen black entrepreneurs that were indentified and located through purposive and snowball sampling methods. The study found out that while there is an appreciation of BEE policy and the transformation that has already taken place, there is also a healthy criticism, discontent, skepticism and impatience over the pace of transformation and implementation of BEE policy. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.