This study examines the nature and characteristics of the informal sector within the Makana municipal area in South Africa. The focus is on the socio-economic characteristics of the informal sector operatives; operational characteristics of the microenterprises that we studied, such as longevity, employment generation, growth potential, and linkages of the informal sector with the formal sector of the economy. Extensive studies on the informal sector have been conducted in many parts of the world relative to South Africa. The key finding in most of these researches is that the informal sector is highly heterogeneous. These studies provide us with the parameters for analysing the nature and characteristics of the informal sector in the Makana Municipality. The results of the thesis show that the majority of people in Makana Municipality join the informal sector as a result of such push factors as unemployment, retrenchment and the need to survive. While there is evidence of lucrative activities amongst the surveyed enterprises, most of the informal sector micro-enterprises are concentrated in the lower segment of the sector where earnings are very low. Results from this study reveal that employment generation (beyond owner-operator) is very limited. The co-existence of a small number of remunerative activities alongside a large proportion of relatively unproductive activities is not only a sign of restricted economic potential but, most importantly, it points to the heterogeneous nature of the informal sector. Precisely, the informal sector encompasses activities which are different in terms of asset holdings, earnings, etc. From the study, it is also evident that the informal sector micro-enterprises play a crucial role in distributing goods produced in the formal sector. Evidence indicates that these micro-enterprises are Iinked to the formal sector. The idea of a 'second economy' devoid of linkages with the 'first economy' is of limited heuristic value. Thus, the 'second economy' is an extension of the first.

The aim of this study was to determine an appropriate positioning strategy for a car wash business in Port Elizabeth to promote its competitive advantage in the market place. To meet this aim the customers' perceptions of the business were examined. It has been widely acknowledged by researchers and development agencies that Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and entrepreneurs play a crucial role in the economic development of a nation. This is particularly significant for a developing nation such as South Africa to address its critical challenges of unemployment and poverty which impact on social stability. Research reveals that the failure rate of SMMEs in South Africa is an alarming 75 percent. In this context, the need to explore innovative strategies to support and sustain the SMME sector has become increasingly important. A detailed survey of relevant literature revealed that the attributes of a firm that relate to the quality of service, pricing, attitudes of staff, image of the firm etc. can be considered as important variables which customers use to differentiate a business from its competitors. It is suggested that the success of a firm largely depends on its ability to position itself in a competitive environment by focusing on attributes which customers value the most in relation to similar businesses. This case study was approached from a positivist paradigm and data from 61 customers of the car wash were collected. The quantitative data were statistically analysed to examine the attributes of the business which the respondents of the survey perceived as offering the most value to them when compared to other car washes in the area. These attributes were then used to develop a positioning map for the business. The results showed that the attribute of the business which was most valued by the respondents was the manual washing of vehicles. A positioning strategy for the car wash based on this finding is suggested.

This study describes and analyzes the impact of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) on the Jos women in the informal sector, as well as the strategies women adopt to ensure the survival of their businesses and families. Studies that have investigated the impact of SAP on women in the informal sector tend to take a rather disparate approach. Against this background, the present study develops a coherent conceptual framework for understanding the impact of SAPs on women in the sector. From an interview survey conducted with one hundred and fifty (150) Jos women in the informal urban sector, the study elicited data on the activities of the women and the ways SAPs affect their access to productive and reproductive resources, as well as on the responses of the women to SAPs-engendered socio-economic hardships. The data reveal that the Jos women engage in numerous income-generating activities, mostly in small-scale, low-income circulatory and service activities which are largely marginalized and bereft of institutionalized resources. In addition to their productive and income-generating activities, the Jos women perform the bulk of the reproductive and domestic work necessary for the support of the family. As well, the women perform some extra-household work for the welfare of the community and environment. The study shows that the Jos women are adversely affected by SAPs. Structural Adjustment Programmes are further limiting their access to business commodities, credit, stalls, information and training, food, healthcare, education and transportation facilities. Consequently, women are finding it difficult to maintain their businesses and families. Amidst the adverse effects of SAPs, the women are resiliently and innovatively responding to SAPs through numerous business and familial survival strategies. In addition to the responses of the Jos women, the Nigerian State, is attempting to reduce poverty among women through its various women-centered programmes. The study attributes the adverse and limiting effects of SAPs on the Jos women's access to resources to a number of forces. These include (a) the Nigerian limited and discriminatory opportunity structures which predispose women to the largely marginalized informal activities, (b) the small-scale and low-income nature of women's informal activities, (c) the unequal and exploitative relationship between the informal and formal sectors in which women provide consumer goods at low-cost for the regeneration of capitalist labour, (d) the circulatory and service nature of women's informal activities, (e) the gender- and class-biased structures inherent in SAPs, as well as in SAPs' implementing mechanisms and institutions and (f) women's altruistic and selfless attitudes. The study observes that the responses of both the Jos women and the Nigerian State to SAPs-engendered hardships are, at best, palliative or even cosmetic. The responses do not address the strategic needs of women. Hence the study makes a case for a transformatory strategy through the empowerment of women. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

The study focuses on the regulation of informal trading, specifically street traders, within Polokwane Local Municipality. Municipalities required to manage street trading, and to deal with the challenge of increasing numbers of informal traders, which is affecting the formal trading economy. A small income and the limited ability of the government and the formal business sector to provide sufficient employment opportunities to people in the economically active age categories are two of the main reasons for informal trading in South African cities. As a result, the informal street trading sector plays an important role in providing a security net for millions of unemployed in the South African economy. However, informal street trading is not without its problems (Willemse, 2011:7). Often people blame government for not creating employment. When government is unable to provide sustainable employment to all the people, informal jobs emerge. Thus informal trading has become the only option for survival. Informal trading is a major source of income for the majority of the urban poor and therefore requires a properly regulated environment to address issues of income and unemployment for the poor. This study undertook to investigate how Polokwane Local Municipality regulates informal trading in the city of Polokwane. The research method employed in this study is qualitative. The main finding of the study is that because informal trading plays a significant role in creating employment, it must be well regulated and supported by the municipality in order to be organised. The main recommendation on the basis of this finding is that there should be a new approach, especially in terms of enforcement of by-laws. Most informal traders have applied for permits and have been waiting for a response from the Polokwane Local Municipality for years. In this regard, most of the informal traders are dissatisfied with municipal treatment of informal trading in the city. This dissatisfaction is also caused by lack of consultation.

The purpose of this study is to map different understandings of the formalization of the informal financial sector in the developing world. Utilizing a qualitative approach and interview methodology, this study focuses on the case of South Africa and maps different perceptions about the formalization process by operators in the informal economic sector, which are in turn contrasted with the perceptions of experts and policymakers in the field. The issue at hand is a deeper understanding of how and why different groups perceive formalization in different ways. Some of the main findings of this study confirm that there are different understandings of formalization that can be found amongst different groups in South Africa, that the overall positive understanding of formalization efforts are greater than the negative ones, and that formalization efforts are formulated more inclusive than informal operators believe they are. The theoretical contribution of this study is to state that moral arguments play a bigger role in individuals economical decision-making processes than the economy itself shapes individuals' moral behavior. In addition, the findings are of relevance for the design and implementation of financial inclusion policies in the developing world.

Les micro-entreprises domestiques constituent une part importante, si ce n'est dominante, de toutes les économies en développement. C’est aussi le cas au Vietnam où le poids du secteur informel diminue peu malgré une croissance économique rapide. Les quatre chapitres de ce travail posent quatre questions fondamentales pour informer les politiques publiques. Leur originalité est d'adopter le point de vue des entreprises informelles elles-mêmes. Quels bénéfices y a-t-il à rejoindre le secteur formel (chapitre 1)? Quelle est la vulnérabilité de ces unités de production, dont le budget est souvent confondu avec celui du ménages, aux chocs de santé (chapitre 2) ? L’assurance santé permet-elle de réduire efficacement cette vulnérabilité (chapitre 3) ? Enfin, quelle est l’importance du mode de gestion de ces micro-entreprises (chapitre 4) ? Tous les chapitres s’appuient en premier lieu sur des données d’enquêtes quantitatives, de première ou seconde main. L’approche quantitative est complétée par des enquêtes qualitatives. Les résultats dressent le portrait d’un secteur dynamique, dont la persistance ne peut être ignorée, et suggèrent des mécanismes pour améliorer la productivité de ces entreprises qui opèrent dans des conditions largement précaires. / This PhD dissertation is built around four main chapters. Their topic shall sound familiar to policy makers, and to all empirical economists working on microenterprises, as they quesion the common mottos to deal with the informal sector: “formalize them”, “protect them”, and “train them”. Little of these recommendations rely on actual evidence, in particular regarding their effects for the firms themselves. Chapter one starts by questioning the relevance of formalization: what exactly do these production units have to gain from registration? The second chapter investigates the vulnerability of microenterprises to health problems: how much do they suffer from the consequences of health shocks within the household? The third chapter deals with the complementary question of the protection mechanisms, and questions the mitigating potential of health insurance. The fourth chapter finally deals with their managerial capital: do the business skills that are considered standard among larger firms have any meaning for informal micro enterprises?

No description available.

With the rising number of world population living in urban areas and the changing consumption habits, solid waste management has become a predominant urban problem. The problem is further compounded in urban areas of Global South where rapid unplanned urbanization has brought forward the issue of poor basic urban services like water supply, solid waste management, energy supply and transport. The rapid urban growth taking place in capital of Nepal, Kathmandu and the burgeoning solid waste management challenge in the metropolitan is a representative case put forward by this dissertation. Solid waste management in Kathmandu is limited to collection and disposal with minimum consideration on ground to move from current disposal-oriented practices towards resource management-based approach. The existing government structure is struggling to provide waste services to the growing number of urban residents and does not have capacity to diversify solid waste management practices and move towards circular economy in waste. The inability to provide waste services to all residents and its non-compliance to solid waste management regulations indicate the weak government structure. This demands for the exploration of each actor and their engagement in solid waste management, for which the concept of solid waste governance is taken as an entry point. More specifically the governance aspect of integrated solid waste management framework is taken as a first step to investigate the situation. In addition, physical aspects as put forward by the integrated solid waste management framework such as storage, collection, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, transportation and disposal are touched upon while delving into the everyday operations of waste management. The governance aspect of the framework focuses on achieving actor inclusivity, financial sustainability with sound institutions and proactive policies for attaining integrated solid waste management. The integrated framework arose out of the need for the recognition of actors both formal and informal contributing to waste systems. It also marks for attaining financial sustainability with comprehensive institutions for implementing waste related policies. It embarks for a shift away from the state centric to an integrated approach for waste management.

El cambio climático y el daño por el medio ambiente son preocupaciones vigentes de este nuevo siglo, el modelo de producción lineal de crear, usar y tirar es insostenible, como alerta el Banco Mundial; es por ello, que se requiere de un nuevo modelo de producción. Urge pues, virar hacia un modelo de producción circular, que permita prolongar la vida útil de los recursos y materiales, y al mismo tiempo reducir al máximo la generación de los residuos sólidos del planeta. Dentro de las industrias más contaminantes del mundo podemos mencionar a la industria textil, en el Perú el impacto de esta industria no se conoce con exactitud ni tampoco se dispone de investigaciones validadas ni sustentadas, lo que sí se conoce es que el Perú muestra una gran vulnerabilidad ante variaciones climáticas drásticas, siendo evidencia de ello el Fenómeno del Niño, la misma que ha generado grandes pérdidas económicas para el país. En el Perú la industria textil y de confecciones representa el segundo sector más importante dentro del PBI manufacturero según los datos del Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI); por lo que, se convierte en uno de los sectores relevantes para la economía peruana, siendo la principal fuente generadora de puestos de trabajo en la manufactura, pues emplea a más de 400,000 puestos de trabajo. Es en este contexto, que mi negocio plantea gestionar la reparación de ropa interconectando a reparadores con clientes de Lima Moderna usando una aplicación móvil. Teniendo en consideración que este negocio se plantea como una alternativa verde y sostenible de largo plazo, con la intención de dar impulso a aquellas empresas dedicadas a la reparación de ropa, que operan en el mercado peruano con un enfoque tradicional, y cuyas actividades se encuentran al margen de la formalización, de la innovación tecnológica, cuya mano de obra muchas veces es poco calificada e incluso de baja productividad, por ello sus bajos ingresos en muchos de los casos. Según la demanda calculada en Lima moderna existen alrededor de 100,000 personas que podrían estar interesadas en la reparación de su ropa, siendo el objetivo comercial de los primeros 4 años la de atender al 18% de dicha demanda, considerándose en esta estimación y dando un mayor peso al escenario pesimista por encontrarnos hoy estado de emergencia sanitaria producto del coronavirus. A pesar de ello, los indicadores financieros son alentadores, pues se espera generar un valor presente neto (VAN) de S./ 1,333,555 soles y una tasa de retorno (TIR) del 87%, considerándose un WACC promedio de 16.76%. Después del análisis y diagnóstico situacional (Capitulo IV) y de la investigación y validación del mercado (Capítulo V), se ha diseñado un planeamiento estratégico (Capítulo VI), que nos ha permitido identificar que existe un mercado insatisfecho, que es rentable y que no solo necesita dicho servicio, sino que, en la actualidad, dicho cliente busca dar solución al problema de reparar su ropa con muchas limitaciones, siendo una de ellas la de poder contactar a un buen reparador. Concluimos, por ende, que existe una oportunidad para desarrollar un modelo de negocio innovador, original, rentable y sostenible a largo plazo. Ofrecer un servicio de este tipo a los clientes de Lima Moderna viene a ser un reto grande en el contexto actual; por lo cual, se ha diseñado un plan de marketing (Capítulo VII), acorde a las necesidades de los clientes actuales, un plan de operaciones (Capitulo VIII), que pueda aprovechar las ventajas de la innovación y las tecnologías actuales, un plan de recursos humanos (Capitulo IX), que define el equipo que permitirá desarrollar este negocio y un plan financiero (Capitulo X), que permita alcanzar los resultados económicos esperados, y evaluar la viabilidad del negocio planteado. Hoy en la situación del estado de emergencia sanitaria en la que nos encontramos producto del coronavirus, son estas iniciativas las que permitirán reactivar la economía peruana, y generar negocios a mediano y largo plazo. / Climate change and environmental damage are current concerns of the present century. The linear production model of creating, using and disposing is unsustainable, as the World Bank warns; that is why a new production model is required. It is therefore urgent to turn towards a circular production model, which allows to prolong the useful life of resources and materials, at the same time reducing the production of solid waste on the planet to the maximum extend possible. Among the most polluting industries of the world we can mention the textile industry, in Peru the impact of the textile industry is not exactly known neither validated, but what is known is that Peru shows a great vulnerability to drastic climatic variations, being evidence of this the El Niño phenomenon, which has generated great economic losses in the country. In Perú, the textile and clothing industry represents the second most important sector within the manufacturing GDP according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI); therefore, it becomes one of the relevant sectors for the Peruvian economy, being its main source of jobs in manufacturing, since it employs more than 400,000 jobs. It is therefore that my business plan proposes to manage the repair of clothes by interconnecting repairmen and repairwomen with clients in Modern Lima using a mobile application. Taking into consideration that the business is proposed as a long-term green and sustainable alternative, with the intention of giving impulse to those companies dedicated to the reparation of clothing, who operate in the Peruvian market with a traditional approach, and whose activities are still separated from formalization, technological innovation, and whose workforce is often low-skilled with a low productivity, hence their low income in many cases. According to the demand calculated in modern Lima, there are around 100,000 people who should be interested in repairing their clothes, the commercial objective of the first 4 years is to meet 18% of that demand, considering in this estimate, and giving a greater weight to the pessimistic scenario because today we are in a state of emergency as a result of the coronavirus. Despite this, the financial indicators are encouraging, as it is expected to generate a Net Present Value (NPV) of S./ 1,333,555 soles and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 87%, considering an average WACC of 16.76%. After the analysis (Chapter IV) and the research and validation of the market (Chapter V), a strategic planning (Chapter VI) has been designed, which has allowed us to identify that there is an unsatisfied market, and that there is a demand for our service, more than that, these clients seek to solve the problem of repairing their clothes with many limitations, one of them being able to contact a good repairman/women. We therefore conclude that there is an opportunity to develop an innovative, original, profitable and long-term sustainable business model. Offering a service of this type to the clients of Modern Lima is a great challenge in the current context; therefore, a marketing plan has been designed (Chapter VII), according to the needs of current customers, an operational plan (Chapter VIII), which can take advantage of innovation and current technologies, a plan for human resources (Chapter IX), which defines the team that will allow the development of this business, and a financial plan (Chapter X), which allows to achieve the expected economic results, and evaluate the viability of the proposed business. In today’s state of emergency in which we find ourselves as a result of the coronavirus, it is these kinds of initiatives that will allow the Peruvian economy to reactivate, and generate business in the medium and long term. / Tesis

Cette thèse porte sur les effets de transferts monétaires sur l’emploi dans le marché du travail sud-africain, un marché fortement segmenté entre secteur formel et informel. Le premier et principal chapitre montre qu’un programme de transferts monétaires inconditionnels destinés aux mères a eu des effets positifs durables sur la qualité de leurs emplois. Sur le long terme, les mères bénéficiaires du transfert sont plus susceptibles d’être employées dans le secteur formel. C’est la conséquence de changements dans la façon dont les mères traitées cherchent un emploi. En leur donnant la possibilité de rester au chômage pendant plus longtemps, le programme de transferts inconditionnels leur permet de viser des emplois de meilleure qualité. Le deuxième chapitre étudie les effets sur l’emploi d’une réforme du système public de retraites en Afrique du Sud, qui est non-contributif et soumis à conditions de ressources. Cette réforme a abaissé l’âge de la retraite de 65 à 60 ans pour les hommes. Elle a entraîné une forte diminution du taux d’activité des travailleurs informels, qui cessent de travailler lorsqu’ils atteignent 60 ans et deviennent éligibles à la pension de retraite non-contributive. Au contraire, les travailleurs du secteur formel ne quittent pas leur emploi et ne se tournent pas vers le secteur informel pour avoir droit à la pension de retraite. Enfin, cette thèse aborde la question du faible nombre de travailleurs indépendants en Afrique du Sud. Le dernier chapitre montre que les Sud-Africains ne travaillent pas plus à leur compte en réponse à des transferts monétaires. Cela indique que les contraintes de liquidité ne sont pas la principale raison du manque de travailleurs indépendants en Afrique du Sud. Cette faible présence de travailleurs indépendants a probablement des racines historiques liées à l’apartheid. Ce troisième chapitre examine les implications potentielles de cette explication, ainsi que les pistes de recherches futures possibles pour une compréhension plus fine de ce phénomène. / This dissertation studies the employment effects of cash transfers in a segmented labor market. The first and main chapter shows that an unconditional cash transfer program targeted at mothers has lasting positive impacts on job quality. Five years after having received the cash transfer, treated mothers are more likely to be employed in the formal sector. This appears to be the result of changes in the way recipients search for a job, as treated mothers are unemployed for longer and target better jobs. The second chapter shows the employment effects of a reform in the means-tested, non-contributory pension system of South Africa, which lowered the age of retirement from 65 to 60 for men. The reform caused a large extensive-margin response, as informal workers stop working when they become eligible to the pension. Instead, formal workers do not quit their jobs nor switch to the informal sector to become eligible to the pension. Lastly, this dissertation discusses the lack of self-employment in South Africa. Building on the results of the first two chapters, the last chapter shows that South Africans do not increase entry to self-employment as a result of cash transfers. This indicates that liquidity constraints are not the main reason for the lack of self-employment in South Africa, which is likely to have historical roots stemming from Apartheid. The chapter discusses evidence and potential policy implications of this explanation, alongside possible avenues for future research on this phenomenon.