...African Journal of Business Management Vol.6 (44), pp. 10994-11002, 7 November 2012 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM DOI: 10.5897/AJBM12.342 ISSN 1993-8233 ©2012 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Common causes of small businesses failure in the townships of West Rand district municipality in the Gauteng Province of South Africa Solly Matshonisa Seeletse Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus), P.O. Box 107, Medunsa, 0207, Pretoria City, South Africa, solly. E-mail: seeletse@ul.ac.za. Tel: +27 12 521 4291. Accepted 17 October 2012 The study examined the high failure rate of the small business in the West Rand region of the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The purpose was to investigate reasons for lack of sustainability of the small businesses of this region. The study was qualitative, characterised by exploratory and descriptive modes. Fifteen small businesses were interviewed using an interview guide (at Appendix). The reasons for their failure showed that these businesses mostly lacked in business understanding. They showed shortfalls in business and management. Recommendations covered suggestions for these businesses to improve understanding and practice of the modern business mechanisms, to approach local business colleges for working relationships and training, as well as to involve management consultants to revive them to start generating the needed revenue and minimum profits...
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...LITERATURE REVIEW ON SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES’ ACCESS TO CREDIT AND SUPPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA December, 2011 Literature Review on Small and Medium Enterprises’ Access to Credit and Support in South Africa Prepared for National Credit Regulator (NCR) Compiled by Underhill Corporate Solutions (UCS) Project Manager and Lead Researcher: Edmore Mahembe Contact Details: Edmore Mahembe 357 Flowers Street Capital Park, 0084 Cell: +27 (0)83 757 3733 Phone: +27 (0)12 751 3237 Fax: 086 540 7052/ 086 639 8976 E-mail: eddiem@underhillsolutions.co.za info@underhillsolutions.co.za Website: www.underhillsolutions.co.za Pretoria, South Africa December, 2011 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research team wishes to acknowledge the co-operation of the following organisations and individuals that helped attain the goals of the evaluation. 1. National Credit Regulator (NCR) for the opportunity afforded to Underhill Corporate Solutions (the research consultants) to conduct this study “Literature Review on Small and Medium Enterprises’ Access to Credit And Support in South Africa”. 2. Client project managers: Thandile Gubevu and Darrell Beghin, for facilitating the overall project exercise and the useful comments on the draft report that helped shape the format of the final report. 3. NCR board members; for useful and valuable comments on the draft report that helped in the development of detailed and well informed recommendations. 4. Finally, special appreciation to key research team members, namely;...
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...SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS LACK BUSINESS SKILLS TRAINING, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL INNOVATION By: Marisa Cloete Mini Research Proposal History and Theory of Graphic Design 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………………………………….....3 LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………………………………..4 APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………………………………….4 GLOSSARY OF TERMS ………………………………………………………………………..…..5 CHAPTER 1: RESEARCH PROBLEM …………………………………………………………...6 1.1 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………...6 1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM ……………..……………………………………6 1.3 BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM …………….…………..………………,.7 1.4.1 MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION .....................................................................................7 1.4.2 SUB-QUESTION ….....……………………………………………………..………………....7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………..………………..8 2.1 INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………….….……………….8 2.2 SOCIAL INNOVATION, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR BASIC NEEDS…….8 2.3 SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS NEED SKILLS AND TRAINING. ……….……..…………….9 2.4 CASE STUDIES: SUCCESFULL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS …..……………………..11 2.4.1 LOCAL CASE STUDIES IN RELATION TO DESIGN RESEARCH ……….…….....11 2.4.2 INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES IN RELATION TO DESIGN RESEARCH…....12 2.5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ……………………..……..……...………..13 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY …….…………….…………….14 3.1 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………..…………….……………….14 3.2 QUALITATIVE...
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...ECONOMICS EXAMINATION GUIDELINES GRADE 12 2014 These guidelines consist of 25 pages. Copyright reserved Please turn over Economics 2 Examination Guidelines DBE/2014 INDEX PAGE 3 1. INTRODUCTION 2. ASSESSMENT IN GRADE 12 2.1 Format of the question papers 2.2 Detail of question papers 4 4 4 3. CONTENT 6 4. CONCLUSION Copyright reserved 25 Please turn over Economics 1. 3 Examination Guidelines DBE/2014 INTRODUCTION The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Economics outlines the nature and purpose of the subject Economics. This guides the philosophy underlying the teaching and assessment of the subject in Grade 12. The purpose of these Examination Guidelines is to: • • Provide clarity on the depth and scope of the content to be assessed in the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination in Economics. Assist teachers to adequately prepare learners for the examinations. This document deals with the final Grade 12 external examinations. It does not deal in any depth with the School-Based Assessment (SBA). This guideline should be read in conjunction with: • • • The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS): Economics The National Protocol of Assessment: An addendum to the policy document, the National Senior Certificate: A qualification at Level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), regarding the National Protocol for Assessment (Grades R–12) The national policy pertaining...
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...Fairtrade and the impact on farmers’ lives Abstract Fairtrade is an organisation with the aim of improving the livelihoods of farmers from developing countries in order to support equality among people. The business is however often in the critique for procedures that are either not helpful for their farmers or even harm the market as a whole. This paper aims at analysing the Fairtrade standards as well as evidence from the literature with regard to the actual impact of the system. The results show that the standards set by Fairtrade are actually fair for their farmers, however a lack of transparency and traceability hinders their proper implementation. Furthermore, Fairtrade standards appear to have even negative effects on farmers that are not part of their organisation caused by rough price competitions as well as on the society as a whole since it hinders an autonomous development of the poor nations. Key Words: Fair Trade, Standards, Developing countries, Livelihood 1 1. Introduction The rising globalization has brought a lot of opportunities to developing countries since their agricultural products can now easily be purchased from all over the world. Due to poor economic, social and political conditions, their producers are however often underpaid and treated badly, while major corporations make the most profit out of it. While moral concerns about the origin of products are arising more and more within the last centuries in the western world, the...
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...SCALE OF ECOTOURISM MARKET DEMAND 2. DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FROM DONORS AND AID AGENCIES THE RISE OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PROJECTS OVERVIEW OF TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTIONS AND ASSISTANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND NGOS THE ROLE OF CONSULTANTS THE PROJECT PROCESS: ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION CONCLUSIONS 3. PRIVATE SECTOR ENTREPRENEURS AND DEVELOPERS PROFILE OF ECOTOURISM ENTREPRENEURS SOURCES OF FINANCING AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE GROWTH, PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE ABILITY TO HAVE AN IMPACT CONCLUSIONS 4. 5. HYBRID: NGO VENTURE CAPITAL CASE STUDIES A. INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, IADB B. US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, USAID C. WORLD BANK: LESOTHO D. THE EUROPEAN UNION: SWAZILAND E. WORLD BANK IN SWAZILAND F. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, TNC G. CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, CI H. CONSERVATION CORPORATION AFRICA, CC AFRICA I. TURTLE ISLAND J. MAHO BAY K. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, MALULEKE COMMUNITY AND MATSWANI SAFARIS 6. CONCLUSION -2- 1. Introduction The focus of this paper is on the different roles played by the donor and NGO community on the one had, and private sector entrepreneurs on the other hand, in financing and developing ecotourism. Much has been written about the role of the international development community (which comprises both the bi- and multilateral aid agencies and international NGOs), and there is a tendency amongst...
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...This article was downloaded by: [UNISA University South Africa] On: 13 February 2012, At: 22:32 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Technology Analysis & Strategic Management Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ctas20 Building Innovation Networks: Issues of Strategy and Expertise Lisa Harris, Anne-Marie Coles & Keith Dickson Available online: 25 Aug 2010 To cite this article: Lisa Harris, Anne-Marie Coles & Keith Dickson (2000): Building Innovation Networks: Issues of Strategy and Expertise, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 12:2, 229-241 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/713698468 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/ terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be...
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...This article was downloaded by:[UNISA University of South Africa] On: 3 October 2007 Access Details: [subscription number 780765665] Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Construction Management and Economics Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713664979 Project management competence in public sector infrastructure organisations Pantaleo Mutajwaa Daniel Rwelamila a a Graduate School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa, UNISA 0003, South Africa Online Publication Date: 01 January 2007 To cite this Article: Rwelamila, Pantaleo Mutajwaa Daniel (2007) 'Project management competence in public sector infrastructure organisations', Construction Management and Economics, 25:1, 55 - 66 To link to this article: DOI: 10.1080/01446190601099210 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01446190601099210 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article maybe used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or...
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...efficiency, security of supply and the environment in South Africa: Moving beyond the strategy documents A.B. Sebitosi à Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa a r t i c l e in fo abstract Article history: Received 18 April 2008 Energy efficiency is one of the most potent and cost effective ways of meeting the demands of sustainable development. It has in fact been referred to as the best energy resource. Way back in 2005 the South African Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) published its Energy Efficiency Strategy in support of some of the objectives enlisted in the 1998 White Paper on Energy Policy. The Strategy set a national target for energy efficiency improvement of 12% by 2015 against the baseline year 2000. The document further predicted that, with a business as usual model of energy usage, at the projected rate of national economic development, there would be a need to invest in new power generating capacity by around 2007. Despite the policy foresight and seemingly enthusiastic efforts, though, the dawn of 2008 saw the country gripped in an electric power crisis, with a capacity shortfall of over 10%. This paper looks at what could have gone wrong, examines energy efficiency policies and measures in other countries and how these lessons could be adopted to the South African context. & 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: South Africa Environment Energy security Energy efficiency ...
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...SABMilier Aidan McQuade South African Breweries grew on the basis of its strength in developing markets, first in Africa and then in other parts of the world. Following pressure from investors to acquire a brewery in a developed market it acquired Miller in 2002 to become SABMiller and the second largest brewer by volume in the world. This case study explains the business's development. It shows how the strategy has changed with time and circumstances and provides the opportunity to consider its future at both the corporate and competitive strategy levels. ••• Introduction In 2007 SABMiller, the renamed South African Breweries following its acquisition of the American brewer Miller in 2002, had become the second largest brewer by volume in the world. It still vied with Anheuser- Busch. its principal competitor; having dropped back to third place in 2005 it reclaimed the number two position following its conclusion of a US$7.8bn (~6.2bn) deal to take over Grupo Empresarial Bavaira, South America's second largest brewer. In the 2006 annual report SABMiller outlined four strategic priorities upon which its success depended: 'Creating a balanced and attractive global spread of businesses .... Developing strong relevant brand portfolios in the relevant market .... Constantly raising the performance of the local businesses . . . . Leveraging our global scale.' This statement of strategy may be seen as a synthesis of the learning the company has developed...
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...INTRODUCTION Recently, Tesco announced that the firm was ending its US venture. Indeed, Tesco appears to be the most recent British retailer to have encountered with failure in the US. Indeed, over the past decades, several major firms such as Sainsbury’s have been compelled to review their overseas ventures (Butler, 2012). These firms have incurred significant deficits in their quest for a new market. However, there seems to be evidence that some of these companies have been able to establish themselves in some foreign markets. For example, Tesco has failed in Japan but has proved to be a success in South Korea. Over this past century, there has been an evident emergence of multinational retail corporations. The general philosophy of these companies has been economically driven, that is, to prosper in terms of sales revenue and to expand globally while acquiring maximum market shares. The most dominant firm in this aspect is U.S. based Wal-Mart that leads with sales revenue exceeding $466.1 billion in 2012, followed by French based Carrefour with income of $112.6 billion (Forbes, 2013). They are trailed by U.K based Tesco at $96.8 billion and by Germany’s Metro in fourth place with sales of $90.5 billion (Forbes, 2013). The common strategy of these stated firms has been to target their marketing efforts towards rapidly emerging countries by investing in the establishment of foreign branches. An emerging market can be defined as an economy which is in the process of a shift...
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...CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT BUSINESS CONGRESS 2008 Presented by THE HELPING HAND NETWORK CSI Business Congress 2008 Page 1 THE CALL TO DIALOGUE – SOCIAL REFORMATION CONGRESS REPORT & SUPPLEMENT CONGRESS DATE: 1516 JULY 2008 CONGRESS VENUE: SIBAYA CASINO, 1 SIBAYA DRIVE, UMHLANGA, KWAZULU NATAL OVERALL FEEDBACK “For the first time CSI will tread where no man has trod before, and pave the way to the social reformation of South Africa.” The congress has become a reality and manifested a resounding success as we received excellent feedback from delegates who attended this event. The demand of our country has definitely changed from conferencing and workshops to active dialogues and practical outputs. This was accurately displayed when the panel discussions and dialogues superseded the conventional manner of conferencing. There was a remarkable shift from proclamation to accurate application. The CSI Congress has provided a moral order and accurately confronted specifics that will result in the eradication of systems in which the exploitation of resources leads to the poverty of the country. The CSI Congress primarily identified both the theoretical and practical strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches to measuring freedom, and clarified on which techniques are most suited for building sustainable systems towards excellence and to chart concrete directions for future research that will add value to SA`s sustainable corporate social development. This...
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...From the Editors A recent cover story published by one of the most inºuential magazines in the world, the Economist (March 12–18, 2005), revealed for its readers the “Real Digital Divide.” The lead essay (written primarily by technology editor Tom Standage) pointed to an unexpected shift in the world’s attention from computers as the main technology deªning the digital divide to the cell phone. The tone of the article, characteristically, was that of a scold pointing to old shibboleths that have been proven false. First, readers were warned that one proposal to resolve the digital divide—creating a global infrastructure fund focused on computers and the Internet—was especially misguided. According to the authors, markets work better. Second, readers were admonished to shift their attention from the Internet to the increasingly ubiquitous cell phone. The Economist is right in insisting that ICT for development policies need to be constantly reevaluated in light of the current best research ªndings. For example, it takes a justiªably critical look at an overreliance on telecenters as the once-favored answer to digital divides. At the same time, the Economist commits similar errors of oversimpliªcation of which it accuses others. It creates a straw man (in the form of an Internet-for-development evangelist), which it then easily knocks down. It accomplishes this by substituting one kind of new technology, mobile phones, for another kind of new technology. It may well be that the...
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...Objective selection criteria and mating strategy of indigenous Nguni cattle under low-input in-situ conservation programs O Tadaa*, V Muchenjeb and K Dzamac aDepartment of Animal Production and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, P. Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, South Africa. bDepartment of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare, P. Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa. cDepartment of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P. Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa. *Corresponding Author: Tel: +263 772 116 441, Email: tadao@cut.ac.zw Abstract Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques were employed to determine the breeding objectives of Nguni cattle under community-based management of indigenous livestock genetic resources. Six groups each composed of nine representative farmers from communal and small-scale conservation enterprises participated in deriving the objective selection criteria of breeding animals using data on economic weights of preferential traits. The shuffled focus groups brainstormed on the mating strategy and management of breeding animals within low-input conservation enterprises. An economic-weight dependent culling method (EWCM) and two-tier open nucleus breeding scheme were conceptualized. The Nguni breeding animals ideally need to maintain optimum body condition score (4 - 6) and low tick counts across seasons under low-input production system. The indigenous breeding bulls need to have high reproductive efficiency while...
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...three times the cost of publicly supplied electricity [3], [4]. In Nigeria and perhaps generally, SMEs classification is done on the basis of capital investment and employed labour force while other criteria could be the annual turnover or gross output [5]. Until very recently, energy was rarely cited as one of the problems militating against the development of SMEs in Nigeria and elsewhere. This study is built on the argument that, unlike larger businesses, the establishment and operation of SMEs promotes economic development which by extension, boosts a country’s GDP number [6] (see Fig. 1). A separate study identifies this link (between SMEs and GDP) but could not establish if it is actually responsible for economic growth [7] while another study presents a decreasing link of 51%, 39% and 16% of GDP being produced by SMEs in high-income, medium income and low-income countries respectively [8]. Elsewhere, it has been confirmed that SMEs were responsible for pulling the US out of economic slump and can therefore, serve as any other economy’s talisman to economic growth [9], [10]. This study is also important because Nigerian SMEs account for some 95 per cent of formal manufacturing activity and 70 per cent of industrial jobs [11]. # UB Akuru# and OI Okoro+ + ABSTRACT This paper is concerned with the unabated epileptic power (electric) delivery which is seen to be periodic with a struggling...
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