M.Com. (Business Management) / The provision of trade credit in the course of business is one of the accepted norms of most business operations providing higher sales volumes, but also, a certain degree of risk. As part of the credit manager's responsibilities he/she must manage the credit department in such a way as to limit the extent of the inherent risk associated with trade credit thereby maximising the marginal profit flowing from credit transactions. Traditional management strategies and techniques do not take into consideration the level of the country's economic activity, to their peril. From the retail trader (Communicomp) example, it is clear that effective credit management procedures and well trained personnel are crucial to the management of trade credit. It is also noted that during a stage of lower economic activity the risks associated with the provision of trade credit are higher, and more likely to realise a financial loss whilst impacting negatively on cash flow. It is therefore appropriate that credit managers, should in future, adopt a management style which takes into consideration the state of the country's economic activity. This would ensure that the risks associated with providing trade credit is kept within acceptable limits.

The situation in South Africa throws up a trickier and more unconventional challenge. The country has symptoms of a spatial realm that is not fully connected with the urban systems (spatially, socially, or structurally) and is certainly disconnected from the rural economy. This is the realm of the country’s townships and informal settlements. Conceptually, they are relics of the country’s special past, but the policies of post-apartheid South Africa have inadvertently kept their contemporary reality alive. In many ways, the townships and especially the informal settlements are similar to the slums in much of the developing world, although never was a slum formed with as much central planning and purpose as were some of the larger South African townships. This paper undertakes to understand the growth strategies of black township entrepreneurs in South Africa. This paper also undertakes to investigate the perceived influence of education, government policies, access to funding, market constraints, crime and social norms on the development or perceived growth strategies for black township entrepreneurs. Propositions are made and tested through conducting interviews with individuals involved with the dynamics presented by this subject on a day to day basis. Evidence collected is interpreted into knowledge and finally recommendations are made.

M.Com. (Business Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The research study was conducted to cover the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) retail industry with direct emphasis on the supermarket industry. The research problem is as a result of the retail businesses in the BCM that continue to consider that if they have large data warehouses with masses of customer information, they have all what it takes to run a profitable business. Their failure to understand the organizational implications of moving towards a customer-centric approach often results in high costs from bad customer service and handling of customer complaints. The main problem was stated and sub-problems introduced from the main problem to address them by way of qualitative and quantitative research. Related literature was reviewed on Redefining the Customer, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Relationship Management and a Customer Management Model was proposed. During empirical survey, a questionnaire based on literature reviewed was designed for the survey. A pilot study was conducted to identify and rectify problems and shortcomings relating to the questionnaire. The pilot study indicated that the data likely to be collected will address the main and sub-problems of the research. A total of thirty five questionnaires which contained closed-ended and open-ended questions were distributed to the population sample as selected. Results of the study were critically analysed and interpreted quantitatively and qualitatively by means of tables and discussion for the development of an Integrated Model for managing customers. The analysis of the study which was based on the literature reviewed and the findings from the empirical survey were concluded to present a solution to the problem. In view of the shortcomings identified by the literature review and integration thereof with the results of the empirical study, an Integrated Customer Management Model was developed.

A Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation / This research investigates perceptions of the SMME community in Johannesburg, Gauteng, on the impact of the Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) Framework Act (Act No. 5 of 2000) as a Supplier Diversity (SD) tool. The research questions discussed are: 1) Are SMMEs directly benefitting from government as a result of PPP? 2) Are SMMEs indirectly benefitting through the private sector as a result of PPP? 3) How can PPP be improved? and 4) What are the problems with the implementation of PPP? The Osiba Research (2011) found that there was minimal impact from government programs in supporting and improving the majority of black-owned SMMEs and integrating them into the mainstream economy. It was further found that the major shortcomings were not due to insufficient or inaccurate policy, but the government’s inability to implement and support the very programs they designed. Other factors that work against SD in South Africa are corruption and nepotism which have led to lack of transparency in the awarding of tenders (Lodge T, 1998). Weak policy coordination and implementation, funding constraints and the fact that policy benefits were leveraged almost exclusively by medium-sized enterprises, which were often white owned, meant that previously disadvantaged people continue to be economically marginalized (Rogerson, 2013). Another setback is that of set-asides. Government has not been practicing its own policy through public procurement and as a result the private sector has showed little commitment to these set-asides. This is partly because the National Treasury holds that set-asides will inflate the cost of procurement (Timm, 2011). This is a qualitative study and as such an interpretivist research approach was used. Enterprises included in the sample were selected using the City of Johannesburg’s Supplier Database, which is the City’s official database that contains the list of accredited prospective suppliers of different goods and services that are required by the City. The results of this research suggests that while there have been links to increased economic growth and rebalancing of socio-economic inequalities as a result of PPP, there are still major problems to overcome such as lack of transparency in awarding tenders, beneficiaries of government business employing non South African citizens/permanent residents, despondency on set-asides, fronting, lack of access to funding, lack of information and lack of commitment to PPP by large corporates. The study concludes with recommendations on policy, how the problem of rationalisation might be overcome, as well as how closer cooperation between SMMEs, government and large corporates can enhance PPP. Recommendations on potential future research are also made. / MT2016

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / South Africa for more than three decades has been described as the economic capital of Africa because of its level of industrialization, production, interactions and business transactions with other companies locally, nationally, regionally and globally. This situation goes hand in hand with the continual emergence in South Africa of business organizations, notably major international groups or their subsidiaries, other foreign or national large corporations, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The SME sector has significantly emerged in industries such as retail and manufacturing that produce a wide variety of consumer goods and related services. They produce services and goods that are destined for both local and international consumption. Similarly, they are also sourcing goods and services from local or international suppliers. Consequently, SMEs are involved in a complex supply chain management challenges and are exposed to the chain’s intense logistics activities. The main objective of this study was to determine how outsourcing can improve effectively the logistics performance of wine producing SMEs in the manufacturing sector. The findings from the interviews conducted with 16 personnel responsible for logistics performance from selected small and medium wine producers in Constantia, Stellenbosch, and Paarl, offer support for the assumption that outsourcing is a key to logistics performance in SMEs. The general outcome of the study suggests that logistics performance of SMEs is dependent on their ability to manage outsourcing of logistics services. Thus, knowing beforehand the “what for” of outsourcing is very important determinant for driving logistics performance, especially defining, assessing and measuring the performance objectives the SMEs expect from outsourcing and choosing logistics partners that can meet these objectives.

Thesis (MBA) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The leasing out of the shops to foreign owners in the rural areas in Greater Letaba Municipality by black businessmen is of concern to those involved in the economic development of the municipality. An exploratory business analysis approach was used to analyze this report. The previous local shop owners and foreign shop owners were interviewed to get the aspects that made the former fail to successfully run their business. The problem statement and objectives of the research are outlined by comparing the three shop owners through tables, and this paved the way for the researcher to understand different models used to run their businesses. Both local and foreign shop owners used the pricing strategy though their price differed. The foreign shop owners, present local shop owners and previous shop owners have, in terms of management been dealing with pricing, competition and system and equipment. The analyses of findings are presented also in the form of tables. The present local shop owners and foreign shop owners operate more or less the same. They network and buy more stock in order to sell it cheaper. The recommendation and conclusions will assist businesses not to fail in future.

Small businesses contribute towards the Gross National Product of the country and also provide jobs. More and more people are leaving schools and universities with the hope of finding jobs but this is not always possible. The best solution for these people is that they should start their own small businesses in their communities. Different businesses start because people have identified a need in their community. Good things about small businesses are that some of them become successful and eventually turned into franchise. Franchise is one way of starting a business. People are sceptical of new products, they want the tried and tested products because they can identify with them. However, the franchisee will always be provided with support from Head office to ensure that they succeed. The government has set-up organisations such as Ntsika and Khula that help the SMMEs with things such as business plans and finance. These organisations help entrepreneurs free of charge. This project seek to evaluate those aspects that make some small businesses succeed and others fail in Mafikeng and Mmabatho area and also to what extend does management skills affect small skills affect small businesses. The report also looks at how entrepreneurs use technology in their businesses. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

Competitive advantage is crucial for a business to be sustainable, yet many small- and medium-sized enterprises are not engaging in supplier development in order to achieve a competitive advantage. This empirical study was conducted on a sample of 64 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the manufacturing industry in Kempton Park, Gauteng. The factors that influence engagement in supplier development were analysed to assess whether supplier development can lead to competitive advantage and other benefits. The findings indicate that supplier development can create and improve competitive advantage, as well as lead to other benefits. Four factors were found to have a relationship with supplier development, and therefore could influence the decision to take part in supplier development. Small- and medium-sized enterprises can use tools such as supplier development in order to be competitive and have an advantage over their competitors. The awareness of operational performance measures, competitive advantage, judgment of the absence or existence of trust, and a buyer’s relative power can all influence participation in supplier development.

Tourism is viewed as an important industry to help local economies overcome poverty and low rates of employment. The economic benefits of a growing tourism industry cannot be disputed in a South Africa where unemployment levels remain above international averages. However, whether South Africa is successfully exploiting opportunities to grow the industry sustainably remains questionable. Many attempts have been made to help the industry implement sustainable tourism practices, especially amongst accommodation establishments. However, policies formulated, initiatives designed and current industry norms and standards make very little distinction between various sizes and categories of establishments. As a result, smaller establishments are lumped together with larger establishments and solutions developed do not address the unique needs of this sector. This study introduces the concept of a smaller accommodation establishment (SAE). While the adoption of sustainable tourism practices within tourism remains unsatisfactory, this study focuses on illustrating the importance of the SAE sector specifically within the tourism sector. It proposes that SAEs are defined and categorised in a format that will allow for greater comparisons in performance – both in relation to each other and in relation to their larger counterparts. This will also allow for the collection of more meaningful data towards establishing baselines and benchmarks. Through a detailed literature review, this study investigates reasons why the adoption of sustainable tourism practices has been lower than desired by SAEs. The research first and foremost focuses on how to define sustainable tourism and responsible tourism and how to define an SAE so as to create a context for the remainder of the research. The literature review used the Porter’s Five Forces model to analyse the relative sustainability of the sector, and proposed the main barriers to implementation of sustainable tourism practices amongst SAEs. It then set out to answer the question: "What framework and mechanisms could be used to help SAEs overcome the barriers to implementing sustainable tourism, thus enabling sustainable growth and development of SAEs as a sub-sector of the tourism industry?" In answering the above question, the study used the Delphi method of reaching consensus to test the views industry experts in relation to the definition and categorisation of SAEs, the size of the sector, the relative importance of the sector in the overall South African economy as well as the potential barriers to SAEs implementing sustainable tourism practices. The study then tested these findings through a broad industry survey that collected qualitative and quantitative data from SAE owners and managers across South Africa. The findings of the broad industry survey confirmed the findings of the literature review and industry expert questionnaires. It added additional data that provided perspectives on the uptake of sustainable tourism practices amongst SAEs and helped to set some baselines for the SAE sector. It also added additional dimensions to be considered in the development of the framework. Finally, the research utilised focus groups and individual interviews with SAE owners and managers to determine the validity of the findings from the previous sections. From the inputs of the literature review and the three data collection phases, this research develops a comprehensive framework for the implementation of sustainable tourism practices amongst SAEs. The framework is a flexible, adaptable and scalable tool that assists in communicating a specific approach that could be utilised by many role players in the SAE sustainable tourism implementation arena, including the SAE owners, public sector entities, private sector business, industry professionals and community members. The essence of the proposed framework is to support the implementation of sustainable tourism practise amongst SAEs, thus enhancing the overall sustainability of the smaller accommodation sector while also addressing the sustainability of the cluster. The framework includes recommendations on how SAEs should be defined and categorised, as well as how sustainable tourism should be defined. The use of the proposed framework helps to draw the attention of sustainability efforts to clusters of SAEs rather than individual businesses and adds to local competitiveness through engaging the supply chains of accommodation establishments. Combining mechanisms such as incentives and change processes, route development and policy formulation guides the framework to provide collaborative holistic approaches to overcoming the barriers of sustainable tourism practices. The framework also recommends holistic indicators of success that do not only represent the performance of individual businesses, but also of business clusters, the tourism sector and the impacted communities. Within clusters, greater cohesion amongst role players will provide greater negotiation power in various aspects such as cost reduction and more favourable policy formulation processes which involves a greater base of role players. Through the adoption of guiding questions within the framework, each of the role players is able to take responsibility their actions and decisions / Environmental Sciences / Ph. D. (Environmental Management)