Analysis of women entrepreneurship in township and rural areas in South Africa

There have been several studies that show that women entrepreneurs in South Africa play a critical role in the economy of the country with regard to income and employment creation, as in any other African country. According to previous studies, boosting women’s entrepreneurship is a key issue in improving the economies of countries worldwide, and while there is no objective reason why women’s ventures should perform less well than men’s, considerable barriers have been reported. Past research indicates that the common challenges facing micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in South Africa and across the globe include finance, weak supporting infrastructure, inadequate policy and systems, management, and social and human resources. Consequently, these challenges do not only lead to a high failure rate of MSMEs but also contribute significantly to the prevention of the creation of new enterprises. The purpose of this article is to critically analyze women entrepreneurship in rural and township areas, examine the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs from these areas and to unpack the support required to unleash their full potential. The focus was purely on female entrepreneurs in the rural and township communities of South Africa.