Indigenous female entrepreneurship : analytical study on access to finance for women entrepreneurs in South Africa

Research on female entrepreneurship is imperative to create a knowledge base of women’s experiences with regards to being financially excluded in South Africa. There is a realisation, however, that, while race has historically been the primary driver of economic disparities in South Africa, other forms of discrimination also prevent certain groups from accessing economic freedom and opportunities. Women, who represent 52% of the South African population, still suffer from historical and cultural prejudice in accessing opportunities, for a number of reasons that are outlined in this study. While access to financial services continues to be largely racially defined in South Africa, the gender gap between men and women does exist, and is likely to grow if special efforts are not undertaken to address the underlying issues now. Black women are the largest single self-employed segment of the population; a fact that is not reflected in the current industry targets for business activity. This paper examines the extent to which financial service providers in the country were sufficiently aware of the challenges facing women entrepreneurs in South Africa

Success factors of entrepreneurial activity in the Overberg region of Western Cape, South Africa

Entrepreneurial activities around the world accounted for about 70% of the global GDP on average. However, in South Africa entrepreneurial activities only share 40% of the country’s GDP. With an unemployment rate of approximately 25%, accelerating entrepreneurial activity becomes crucial in a developing country like South Africa. A recent study executed in the Overberg rural district has shown vast opportunity for new endeavors in this direction. Entrepreneurial activity is mostly centered on large-scale agricultural practices. This district is the largest apple producer in the country and the second largest pear producer. However, unemployment in this region has increased in recent years due to the nature of fruit farming which is seasonal. Off-season farmers employ only up to 9% of the district farm workers which leaves 11.1% workers without employment for the rest of the year. Though this area is affluent with natural resources; scarcity of skills, poor infrastructure and lack of technology result in slow economic growth. Further, the absenteeism of entrepreneurial success factors makes it impossible for the many survivalist businesses in the informal sector to be sustainable and to show any form of growth. This paper will analyze the success factors or lack thereof and make recommendations towards opportunities that will help to advance the Overberg region’s entrepreneurial activity

Indigenous female entrepreneurship: Analytical study on access to finance for women entrepreneurs in South Africa

Research on female entrepreneurship is imperative to create a knowledge base of women's experiences with regards to being financially excluded in South Africa. There is a realisation, however, that, while race has historically been the primary driver of economic disparities in South Africa, other forms of discrimination also prevent certain groups from accessing economic freedom and opportunities. Women, who represent 52% of the South African population, still suffer from historical and cultural prejudice in accessing opportunities, for a number of reasons that are outlined in this study. While access to financial services continues to be largely racially defined in South Africa, the gender gap between men and women does exist, and is likely to grow if special efforts are not undertaken to address the underlying issues now. Black women are the largest single self-employed segment of the population; a fact that is not reflected in the current industry targets for business activity. This paper examines the extent to which financial service providers in the country were sufficiently aware of the challenges facing women entrepreneurs in South Africa

Success factors of entrepreneurial activity in the Overberg region of Western Cape, South Africa

Entrepreneurial activities around the world accounted for about 70% of the global GDP on average. However, in South Africa entrepreneurial activities only share 40% of the country’s GDP. With an unemployment rate of approximately 25%, accelerating entrepreneurial activity becomes crucial in a developing country like South Africa. A recent study executed in the Overberg rural district has shown vast opportunity for new endeavors in this direction. Entrepreneurial activity is mostly centered on large-scale agricultural practices. This district is the largest apple producer in the country and the second largest pear producer. However, unemployment in this region has increased in recent years due to the nature of fruit farming which is seasonal. Off-season farmers employ only up to 9% of the district farm workers which leaves 11.1% workers without employment for the rest of the year. Though this area is affluent with natural resources; scarcity of skills, poor infrastructure and lack of technology result in slow economic growth. Further, the absenteeism of entrepreneurial success factors makes it impossible for the many survivalist businesses in the informal sector to be sustainable and to show any form of growth. This paper will analyze the success factors or lack thereof and make recommendations towards opportunities that will help to advance the Overberg region’s entrepreneurial activity