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Economists versus the Street: Comparative Viewpoints on Barriers to Self-employment in Khayelitsha, South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Cichello
  • Liberty Mncube
  • Morne Oosthuizen
  • Laura Poswell

    (Haverford College)

Abstract

What prevents the unemployed in Khayelitsha, South Africa from trying self-employment? Perceptions of a small group of academic economists are presented and compared to the perceptions of unemployed Khayelitsha residents themselves. The largest differences in view-points are that a) academics believe that the general business skills of residents hold the unemployed back substantially while residents perceive it as a minor issue; and b) compared to academics, residents of Khayelitsha give much more weight to jealousy within the community and to the continual vulnerability to business failure as barriers to trying self-employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Cichello & Liberty Mncube & Morne Oosthuizen & Laura Poswell, 2011. "Economists versus the Street: Comparative Viewpoints on Barriers to Self-employment in Khayelitsha, South Africa," Working Papers 11144, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    • Handle: RePEc:ctw:wpaper:11144
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7292
    File Function: First version, 2011
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Freeman, Richard B., 2010. "Labor Regulations, Unions, and Social Protection in Developing Countries," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4657-4702, Elsevier.
    2. Suresh de Mel & David McKenzie & Christopher Woodruff, 2009. "Returns to Capital in Microenterprises: Evidence from a Field Experiment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(1), pages 423-423.
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    JEL classification:

    • A1 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics

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