Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The ANC government relaxed a great many restrictions enforced by the apartheid regime. The restrictions included the illegal status of the spaza shops which operated in the townships. Faced with the challenge of unemployment, the present government crafted policies and programmes to support and promote the creation of Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises or SMMEs. However, despite all of these initiatives, the small grocery shops which are commonly known as spaza shops, and particularly those owned by South Africans, are faced with a number of obstacles with respect to the establishment, operation and growth. This study was undertaken in order to determine the factors which affect the startup and growth of locally owned spaza shops in the Gugulethu and Nyanga townships in Cape Town, and to identify the support strategies necessary to assist these shops to grow into sustainable businesses. The study was motivated by the growing informal economy which, if it is effectively taken advantage of and made use of, can, to some extent, create employment opportunities, particularly for the previously disadvantaged people in both the Gugulethu and the Nyanga townships. The study employed an exploratory and descriptive research design, and a quantitative empirical research approach, through the use of a self-administered questionnaire. The findings of the research study revealed that there are significant challenges which adversely affect South African-owned spaza shops, and that obstacles are encountered during the startup and growth phases. Although the factors which affect the spaza shops adversely are many, it is important to single out the most significant ones. The significant factors evidence from the study were a lack of startup and expansion capital, load shedding, the lack of a network to buy cheaply in bulk, competition from non-South African entrepreneurs, crime, costs incurred by transportation of stock, a lack of collateral security to obtain finance from lenders, inadequate ability to handle financial records, a lack of management skills and a lack of information concerning government services.

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2010 / Financial Management is one of the critical principles in the business enviromnent. This study was conducted to assess the impact of the use of financial statement by SMMEs on to the success of their businesses. ln Chapter one of the study, the researcher gives the background to the research problem. The objectives of the study are also discussed. The research questions are highlighted and the key concepts that are used in the study and defined. The researcher gave the fonnat of the study and concluded the chapter with summary chapter. Chapter two focused on the review of related literature where different sources who explained about the financial management in SMMEs were consulted. The research objectives were restated and intensely discussed. The researcher outlined the challenges he encountered during the research process. The chapter was concluded with a summary chapter. Chapter three discussed the research design and methodology. The rationale for the study was explained in this chapter. The research design, types of research, target population, sampling and the research instruments were all explained in this chapter. The questionnaire construction and questionnaire items were also outlined. The research process was explained in full and the chapter was concluded with a summary. Chapter four discussed the data analysis, where the differences between qualitative and quantitative data analysis were discussed. Findings from other documents were also discussed. The chapter was concluded with a summary. Chapter five summarized all the chapters by the giving conclusion and recommendations.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / The main focus of this study was to investigate the contribution made by SMMEs towards local economic development (LED) in Mankweng Township. To this end, specific working objectives were formulated as follows: to study the nature of SMMEs, to identify the challenges they face, to analyse the theory of local economic development and lastly, to study the role of SMMEs in local economic development. A variety of data collection methods were used in this study such as literature review, semi-structured questionnaires and observations. The study revealed that SMMEs represent a vital component of the local economic development process in Mankweng Township, and their contributions in terms of employment, income and poverty reduction is well acknowledged. However, SMMEs are constrained by a number of challenges such as lack of access to appropriate technology, limited access to markets, government regulations, lack of management skills and training, all of which hamper their development. Lack of access to finance remains the utmost constraint for most of SMMEs. In an attempt to enable the SMMEs sector to perform effectively and efficiently, a number of support initiatives were introduced by the South African government. This ranged from government institutions, private sectors, parastatals and NGOs. Conversely, access to these support initiatives remains a challenge for most entrepreneurs, as most of the SMMEs in Mankweng Township operate within the informal sector and they lack awareness of the support initiatives and structures provided by these institutions.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Business Administration)-Durban University of Technology, 2006 vi, 70 leaves / One of the major problems facing SMME’s in the South African clothing industry is the surge of clothing imported particularly from China, which negatively impacts on the ability of local firms to survive in business. Despite this challenge within the volatile business environment some SMME’s within the clothing industry have been resilient and have remained in business. This survey focused on the existing business strategies of SMME’s within the clothing manufacturing sector of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The main aim of the research was to establish the underlying factors of competitive advantage of SMME’s and to determine the strategic action taken by businesses in order to combat the impact of the sale of imported clothing in South Africa. In addition, an evaluation of the success of these strategic choices was carried out so that future business strategies for SMME’s can be developed to ensure sustainable competitive advantage.

Despite numerous research efforts and a number of 'friendly' national policies on the field of the informal economy in South Africa, there does seem to be a continuous public policy conflict at local government level in this country. The evolution of the informal economy and the policy crisis at local government level seem to be largely shaped by the legacy of colonialism and racial capitalism. This study focuses on three critical policy areas of informal trading, namely; the taxi industry; the shebeens that belong to the category of home based economy; and street traders. These three are the oldest form of informal economic activities pursued by the Africans (indigenous people). The study will investigate the progress of informal trading as a critical policy area for municipalities made thus far since the democratisation of South Africa in 1994. It confronts the lack of progress by this sphere of government. It concludes by exposing the neglect of the three types of informal trading. It also concludes that the development of sound informal economic policies at municipal level is a prerequisite as there are national policies and legislation that need to be adhered to. The study recognises that despite the development of sound informal economic policies being obligatory, there is an underlying social, political, environmental and economic need for this important process. It finally identifies the specific critical areas that need to be addressed and recommends a policy process that is participatory, credible and progressive. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit, University of Technology in the Faculty of Commerce, 2007 / Entrepreneurship, business knowledge and skills within micro and small businesses play an important part in the economies of countries across the globe by being the drivers of economic growth, as well as, creating employment. The role of micro and small businesses is matching that of big business and in some countries contributes up to ninety per cent of revenue. The difficulties from supply and demand perspectives are receiving increasing attention from government and academic institutions and researchers, and the purpose of this study is to establish to what degree the presence of entrepreneurship is present in the region concerned, as well as, investigating the extent of knowledge and skills within the sample of micro and small business owners. The study uses descriptive statistics drawn from a questionnaire survey, to achieve its purpose. One hundred and seventy micro and small businesses were drawn using a stratified random sampling method. Businesses surveyed were grouped into the following categories: services, manufacturing, hardware, clothing and food. Entrepreneurial traits were found present in the micro and small business owners, however certain behavioural aspects argued against this presence. In terms of knowledge and skills, the extent was found to be limited in terms of both academic qualifications, and business acumen. Growth rates of the businesses in the survey seem to be low and the presence of real entrepreneurship would need further investigation.

China is a country built on traditions and one of its most respected traditions is a preference for the family unit. The closeness of the family unit is carried over into the economic life of the country. Family members not only live together, but also work together in the fields or in enterprises. The advantage of this is that families have a guaranteed labour force that is not only loyal and can also be trusted. The disadvantage however is that positioning within the business is not always based on merit and competence, or trustworthiness which can ultimately impede growth. This research was an examination of Chinese family-owned businesses that focused on their management practices. The purpose of the study was to explore the management characteristics of Chinese family-owned businesses by means of interview data collected from five Chinese businesses in the Cape Metropolitan area. The emphasis of the project concentrated on the establishment, expansion and growth, ownership and leadership, management structure, the impact of cultural factors and the strategy for the future as well as challenges in terms of competitors and environments.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the business sector of the Information Society, information plays a crucial role in giving an enterprise a competitive advantage. Information as a resource in a small enterprise includes internally produced information, information obtained from the external environment as well as the knowledge residing in people's heads. However, this information and knowledge needs to be processed and recorded in physical formats for the purposes of decision-making and problem solving as it is part of the information resources of the small enterprise. This study explored the extent of information and knowledge management in developing communities' small enterprises in pursuit of survival and success. A deeper understanding of the business information needs, sources of information, frustrations and problems were investigated in order to establish and meet the specific needs of small enterprises in developing communities. More specifically, the objective of the study was to promote effective information organisation in small enterprises, with special reference to developing communities, as a means to support economic and social development of South Africa. For data gathering, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to owner/managers of 17 small enterprises in Kayamandi, a developing community in the Stellenbosch area. The purpose was to determine owner/managers's needs with regard to information organisation and to identify existing systems, tools and procedures that might be appropriate for this sector. The results indicated the absence or insufficient business education of owner/managers in Kayamandi, which has a damaging effect on their ability to acquire the information they need for their daily business work and operational activities. Moreover, the owner/managers do most of their information gathering using a variety of informal sources, and that information is not organised in information packages. This, in tum, affects their business development. Information should interact with tacit knowledge to improve the quality of work. In addition, the oral tradition should be promoted because it plays an important role in the daily running of the small enterprises in developing communities. In that sense, owner/managers should create an environment that can assist in knowledge sharing from various information sources. Maintaining such knowledge as information in retrieval based information systems could assist owner/managers in the overall functioning of their businesses because they are faced with the challenge of responding effectively to changing customer expectations. An affordable information system model is recommended and structured to fit owner/manager's work habits. The arrangement of information resources in the system can be used for categorisation of information either in a manual or electronic system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die sakesektor van die Inligtingsamelewing speel inligting 'n kritieke rol om aan 'n onderneming 'n mededingende voorsprong te bied. Inligting as hulpbron in 'n klein onderneming sluit in intern-geproduseerde inligting, inligting wat uit die eksterne omgewing verkry word, asook die kennis wat in mense se koppe is. Dié inligting moet egter verwerk en vasgelê word in fisiese formate met die oog op besluitneming en probleemoplossing, aangesien dit deel is van die inligtingshulpbronne van die klein onderneming. Hierdie studie verken die omvang van inligtings- en kennisbestuur in ontwikkelende gemeenskappe se klein sake-ondernemings met die oog op oorlewing en sukses. 'n Dieper begrip is gesoek van die sake-inligtingsbehoeftes, bronne van inligting, frustrasies en probleme ten einde die spesifieke behoeftes van 'n klein onderneming te bepaal en daaraan te voldoen. Meer bepaald was die doel van die studie om effektiewe inligtingsorganisering in klein ondernemings te bevorder, met spesifieke verwysing na ontwikkelende gemeenskappe, as 'n manier om ekonomiese en sosiale ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika te bevorder. Met die oog op dataversameling is 'n vraelys ontwikkel en versprei onder eienaarslbestuurders van 17 klein ondernemings in Kayamandi, 'n ontwikkelende gemeenskap in die Stellenbosch-gebied. Die doel was om eienaars/bestuurders se behoeftes met betrekking tot inligtingsorganisering te bepaal en stelsels, werktuie en prosedures te identifiseer wat vir hierdie sektor toepaslik sou wees. Die uitslae dui op die afwesigheid of ontoereikendheid van sake-opleiding onder die eienaars/bestuurders in Kayamandi, wat 'n skadelike uitwerking het op hul vermoë om die nodige inligting te bekom vir hul daaglikse sake-bedrywighede en operasionele aktiwiteite. Verder hanteer die eienaarslbestuurders grotendeels hul eie inligtingsversameling deur gebruik te maak van 'n verskeidenheid informele bronne, en hierdie inligting word nie in inligtingspakkette georganiseer nie. Dit beïnvloed op sy beurt hul sake-ontwikkeling. Inligting behoort in wisselwerking te wees met versweë kennis ten einde die kwaliteit van werk te verbeter. Daarby behoort die mondelinge tradisie bevorder te word, want dit speel 'n belangrike rol in die daaglikse bestuur van die klein sake-ondernemings in ontwikkelende gemeenskappe. In daardie opsig behoort eienaars/bestuurders 'n omgewing te skep wat kan help met kennisdeling vanuit verskeie inligtingsbronne. Die instandhouding van sulke kennis as inligting in herwinningsgebaseerde inligtingstelsels, sou eienaarslbestuurders kon help in die algehele funksionering van hulondernemings, want hulle staar die uitdaging in die gesig om effektief te reageer op veranderende klanteverwagtinge. 'n Bekostigbare inligtingstelselmodel word aanbeveel en gestruktureer om by eienaarslbestuurders se werksgewoontes te pas. Die rangskikking van inligtingsbronne in die stelsel kan gebruik word vir die kategorisering van inligting óf in 'n hand- óf in 'n elektroniese stelsel.

In South Africa, the small business sector has been identified as a sector that is not performing optimally. In a turbulent environment, this type of small business profile is magnified. Therefore, it is important to examine mechanisms through which the performance of this sector can be enhanced. Dynamic capabilities have emerged as a strategic tool of the highest order in terms of firm management and strengthening these capabilities is a key concern for firms that operate in a turbulent environment. Dynamic capabilities are described as the processes required to reconfigure existing resources into new functional competencies. Therefore, this study investigated the strategic processes of small businesses and developed a new strategic model and theory to illustrate and elucidate intervention mechanisms and strategies to strengthen the dynamic capabilities of these small businesses. Methodology: The retail community pharmacy sector was chosen as a model sector for this study since it is a sector that comprises mainly of small businesses and it is currently experiencing environmental turbulence. The methodology followed an initial exploratory, qualitative approach followed by a formal, empirical, quantitative approach. The research questionnaire was derived after ensuring that content validity, criterion related validity, construct validity and reliability criteria were met. This questionnaire was administered to a sample of 477 out of a population of 2549 small businesses in the retail community pharmacy sector, using an unrestricted, simple, random, probability sampling approach. As a consequence of having received 130 completed questionnaires, the results obtained in this study were expressed at the 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of 0.08. Results and Discussion: From a gap analysis of the level of importance of dynamic capabilities and their extent of implementation, seven dynamic capabilities whose implementation can be enhanced by an alteration of the management importance perception of them, were extracted. These capabilities revolve around staff reward, well-being, empowerment and education and training, as well as the abilities of the small business leadership to sense the environment and opportunities while being sensitive to stakeholder needs. Through a consolidation of the results of the gap analysis, a model for the initiation and the sustaining of innovative resource reconfigurations was developed. Conclusion: For the management practice setting, this study�s findings suggest that the dynamic capabilities of small firms operating in a turbulent environment can be enhanced and strengthened by the employment of the model developed by this study. From a management education perspective, this study�s findings also suggest that the employment of specific and focussed management education that revolves around the seven identified processes will enable not only the initiating phase of the proposed model but will also provide a multiplier effect in the model since management capability is also part of the general resource base of the firm. This study thus proposes the use of these management practice and educational approaches to strengthen and enhance the dynamic capabilities of small businesses operating in a turbulent environment. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D. BL.

Entrepreneurial skills stimulate entrepreneurial activities. An increase in entrepreneurial activities culminates in high economic growth, creation of employment, and alleviation of poverty. South Africa’s entrepreneurial activity ratio stands at 9.1%, far below 14.3% of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. Entrepreneurship is a national priority endeavour which helps absorb individuals searching for employment. Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) provide employment to approximately 61% of households in South Africa. SMME shutdowns have increased and can be attributed to lack of entrepreneurial proficiencies. Hence, contingent employees in small retail businesses face poor working conditions, are unprotected by labour legislation, low remuneration, skills redundancy, and discrimination. They are also not affiliated with a union. The foregoing variables lead to job insecurity. Job insecurity leads to job dissatisfaction, disloyalty, and low organisational commitment. The study investigated whether contingent employees in Roodepoort have entrepreneurial skills to be entrepreneurial, as an avenue to offset job insecurity. The question why contingent employees are not entrepreneurial in Roodepoort was posed. A sample composed of 129 contingent employees from 60 small retail businesses in Roodepoort was used. Results showed a positive relationship between entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurship, job insecurity and entrepreneurship, and contingent employees and job insecurity. However, it appears that contingent employees in Roodepoort were not affected nor concerned about job insecurity. They possess a significant understanding of entrepreneurial skills, yet they are not entrepreneurial. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)