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Lowering barriers to entrepreneurship and promoting small business growth in South Africa

Author

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  • Christine Lewis
  • Boingotlo Gasealahwe

Abstract

Lowering high levels of unemployment and inequality are amongst the largest challenges facing South Africa. More entrepreneurs and thriving small businesses would contribute to inclusive growth. Measures of entrepreneurial activity are lower in South Africa than in other emerging economies. Barriers to entrepreneurship include bureaucratic procedures and licensing, which are also an ongoing burden on small firms. Public procurement is being used to overcome the dominance of large incumbents, but so far its net effect on small firms is not clear. An education system that better equipped students with basic skills as well as entrepreneurial skills would grow the pipeline of entrepreneurs. New forms of financing are slowly emerging in a system that is dominated by banks. A better evidence base is crucial for more effective financial and non-financial support programmes to boost start-up rates and small firms’ growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Lewis & Boingotlo Gasealahwe, 2017. "Lowering barriers to entrepreneurship and promoting small business growth in South Africa," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1449, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1449-en
    DOI: 10.1787/d60e254f-en
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    Cited by:

    1. Fang, Jianchun & Gozgor, Giray & Lau, Chi-Keung Marco & Wu, Wanshan & Yan, Cheng, 2020. "Listed zombie firms and top executive gender: Evidence from an emerging market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    2. Michael Adelowotan, 2021. "Towards Ensuring the Sustainability of South African Small and Medium Enterprises in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era," Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, Eurasian Publications, vol. 9(1), pages 38-46.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    business regulation; entrepreneurial skills; entrepreneurship; micro and small business; small business taxation; South Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • K2 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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