South Africa’s unemployment rate is amongst the highest in the world. It accounts for approximately two percent of global unemployment. The South African government has recognised the importance of job creation and expressed its willingness to help create more jobs. A comprehensive set of policies is necessary to expand long-term job growth in South Africa. Thus, the government should identify and implement new and effective policies that will help create more jobs. In this study, the tax incentives available to support job creation in Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa (BRICS), are researched. The purpose of this study is to perform a comparison of the tax incentives available to support job creation in South Africa with the tax incentives available to support job creation in the BRIC countries. The first objective of the comparison was to evaluate whether the tax incentives that are available to support job creation in South Africa are on par with those available to support job creation in the BRIC countries. The second objective of the comparative study was to identify tax incentives that are available in BRIC countries for job creation that are not available in South Africa so that the government may consider whether these incentives are feasible in South Africa. It was found that the tax incentives that support job creation in South Africa are in some instances on par with, and in some instances even exceed, the tax incentives that are available to support job creation in the BRIC countries. AFRIKAANS : Suid-Afrika’s werkloosheidskoers is van die hoogste in die wêreld. Dit verteenwoordig ongeveer twee persent van wêreldwye werkloosheid. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het die belangrikheid van werkskepping erken, en sy gewilligheid om meer werkgeleenthede te skep, bevestig. ‘n Omvattende beleidsraamwerk is nodig om die langtermyn groei in werksgeleenthede in Suid-Afrika te bevorder. Die regering behoort derhalwe nuwe en effektiewe programme om werkskepping te bevorder, te identifiseer en te implementeer. In hierdie studie word die belastingaansporings wat werkskepping in Brasilië, Rusland,Indië, China en Suid-Afrika (BRICS) bevorder, nagevors. Die doel van hierdie studie is om ‘n vergelyking te doen van die belastingaansporings wat beskikbaar is om werkskepping in Suid-Afrika te ondersteun, met die belastingaansporings om werkskepping te bevorder in die BRIC lande. Die eerste oogmerk met die vergelyking was om te evalueer of die belastingaansporings wat beskikbaar is om werkskepping in Suid-Afrika te ondersteun vergelykbaar is met wat beskikbaar is om werkskepping in die BRIC lande te bevorder. Die tweede oogmerk van die vergelykende studie om belastingaansporings wat in die BRIC lande beskikbaar is om werkskepping te bevorder, wat nie in Suid-Afrika beskikbaar is nie, te identifiseer sodat die regering kan oorweeg of hierdie aansporings haalbaar is in Suid-Afrika. Daar is bevind dat die belastingaansporings wat beskikbaar is om werkskepping in Suid- Afrika te ondersteun, in sommige gevalle vergelykbaar, en in ander gevalle selfs beter is, as die belastingaansporings wat in die BRIC lande beskikbaar is om werkskepping te bevorder. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Taxation / unrestricted

SMEs are important for a country's economy, since they provide benefits such as entrepreneurship, employment, exports and productivity to an economy. An economy that shows substantial growth is usually characterised by a strong and growing SME sector. South African SMEs need to grow to create jobs and benefit the South African economy. One way that SMEs can become strong and grow is through internationalisation. Firms are internationalising faster than ever before (because of advances in telecommunications and transportation) and internationalisation theories that can provide practical guidance to firms are more important today than in the past. The motivation of the study was to identify the areas that the South African government can develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can be on par with the BRIC countries. SMEs make up a large part of the BRICS economies and they grow through exports. In order to be on par with the BRIC countries, it is necessary to compare South African exporting and non–exporting SMEs with those in the BRIC countries. This will help to identify areas where South African SMEs' competitiveness can improve, especially in South–South trade. The competitiveness of SMEs involved in exporting also tends to improve. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. The primary objective of the study was to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa and the BRICS countries. Data was obtained from the World Bank Enterprise surveys to conduct an empirical analysis on firms in the BRICS countries. The empirical analysis provided descriptive statistics on internationalising firms and SMEs in the BRICS countries. The descriptive statistics was used to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in the BRICS countries (primary objective). South Africa has the highest percentage of exporting SMEs, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and China. China had the most exporting SMEs with an internationally recognised certification. The top managers of Chinese exporting SMEs are higher educated than those in India and South Africa. SMEs in Russia internationalise at by far the youngest age and thus are likely to follow the rapid international theories. South African SMEs had the highest average age, meaning that SMEs first are established in the domestic market before they internationalise through exports. Internationalisation has become an important strategy for firms that want to achieve further growth, but it is also very tough to survive in the international market. An interesting finding of this study was that the two obstacles South Africa had in the top 5 namely, crime, theft and disorder, and electricity were not a top 5 obstacle for any of the other BRIC countries. Another objective of the study was to empirically determine the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa. SMEs in South Africa are more likely to internationalise through exports if they are, amongst others, older (longer established in the domestic market), have a larger market share in the South African domestic market, have a top manager with experience and a higher education level (some university training minimum) and have less competitors in the South African domestic market. The comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs of the BRICS countries provided several lessons for the South African government and exporting SMEs. The areas or aspects that the South African government need to develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can compete with the BRIC countries, include assisting SMEs in exporting at an earlier age, improving the education levels of top managers in SMEs, increasing the national market share of SMEs and lessening, or even eliminating, obstacles like crime, theft and disorder as well as electricity. These aspects, together with the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa, are vital to improve SME competitiveness. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, then it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

SMEs are important for a country's economy, since they provide benefits such as entrepreneurship, employment, exports and productivity to an economy. An economy that shows substantial growth is usually characterised by a strong and growing SME sector. South African SMEs need to grow to create jobs and benefit the South African economy. One way that SMEs can become strong and grow is through internationalisation. Firms are internationalising faster than ever before (because of advances in telecommunications and transportation) and internationalisation theories that can provide practical guidance to firms are more important today than in the past. The motivation of the study was to identify the areas that the South African government can develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can be on par with the BRIC countries. SMEs make up a large part of the BRICS economies and they grow through exports. In order to be on par with the BRIC countries, it is necessary to compare South African exporting and non–exporting SMEs with those in the BRIC countries. This will help to identify areas where South African SMEs' competitiveness can improve, especially in South–South trade. The competitiveness of SMEs involved in exporting also tends to improve. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. The primary objective of the study was to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa and the BRICS countries. Data was obtained from the World Bank Enterprise surveys to conduct an empirical analysis on firms in the BRICS countries. The empirical analysis provided descriptive statistics on internationalising firms and SMEs in the BRICS countries. The descriptive statistics was used to make a comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in the BRICS countries (primary objective). South Africa has the highest percentage of exporting SMEs, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and China. China had the most exporting SMEs with an internationally recognised certification. The top managers of Chinese exporting SMEs are higher educated than those in India and South Africa. SMEs in Russia internationalise at by far the youngest age and thus are likely to follow the rapid international theories. South African SMEs had the highest average age, meaning that SMEs first are established in the domestic market before they internationalise through exports. Internationalisation has become an important strategy for firms that want to achieve further growth, but it is also very tough to survive in the international market. An interesting finding of this study was that the two obstacles South Africa had in the top 5 namely, crime, theft and disorder, and electricity were not a top 5 obstacle for any of the other BRIC countries. Another objective of the study was to empirically determine the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa. SMEs in South Africa are more likely to internationalise through exports if they are, amongst others, older (longer established in the domestic market), have a larger market share in the South African domestic market, have a top manager with experience and a higher education level (some university training minimum) and have less competitors in the South African domestic market. The comparison between the characteristics of internationalising SMEs of the BRICS countries provided several lessons for the South African government and exporting SMEs. The areas or aspects that the South African government need to develop in order to transform the economy into an emerging economy that can compete with the BRIC countries, include assisting SMEs in exporting at an earlier age, improving the education levels of top managers in SMEs, increasing the national market share of SMEs and lessening, or even eliminating, obstacles like crime, theft and disorder as well as electricity. These aspects, together with the characteristics of internationalising SMEs in South Africa, are vital to improve SME competitiveness. Therefore, if SMEs' competitiveness improves, then it may be less risky for them to internationalise, which can lead to them being able to export more successfully, grow as a result of exporting and so contribute to employment. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.