An analysis of the participation of women entrepreneurs in the mainstream economy of South Africa.
Lekganyane, Ramadimetja Granny
Lekganyane, Ramadimetja Granny
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Abstract
The primary concern of this study is that although the mainstream economy is where real economic power and intrinsic empowerment value lie, new evidence show that the majority of women entrepreneurs in South Africa (SA) lack the right mix of skills, resource leverage and fiscal support to penetrate it. The mainstream economy referred to high value sectors such as manufacturing, agro-processing, commercial agriculture, tech enterprises, financial services, organised retailing, mining etc. To better understand the underlying factors hindering women entrepreneurs from making a notable mark in the mainstream economy, a qualitative inquiry that utilised the desktop study was conducted. Subsequently, the data was subjected to thematic analysis to gain a wide-eyed understanding of women empowerment trends in SA’s mainstream economy. The study found that the low participation parity of women entrepreneurs into the mainstream economy of South Africa is triggered by a composite of factors. These factors were sub-divided into two main parts, .i.e. internal factors such as (a) high levels of illiteracy, (b) lack of funding, (c) lack of skills, (d) lack of courage and (e) a culture of inferiority complex, external factors such as (a) lack of gendered incentives to level the playing field; (b) lack of a strong political will to elevate women entrepreneurs; (c) lack of a gendered fiscal framework; and (d) the patriarchal nature of the mainstream economy.
The study advocates for a multipronged strategy not only to equip women entrepreneurs with the right mix of requisite skills, entrepreneurial acumen and mental strength but also to eliminate structural and cultural barriers that continue to discourage women entrepreneurs from penetrating the mainstream economy.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree: Masters: Comparative Local Development in the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation Faculty of Economics and Finance at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2023-12-13
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Mainstream economy, Participation parity, Women entrepreneurs, Women empowerment