Academic literature on the topic 'Small business - South Africa - Marketing'
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Journal articles on the topic "Small business - South Africa - Marketing"
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van Scheers, Louise, and Khathutshelo Mercy Makhitha. "Are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Planning for Strategic Marketing in South Africa?" Foundations of Management 8, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 243–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/fman-2016-0019.
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Abstract Substantial evidence shows that strategic marketing planning leads to increased small business performance, yet most small business owners do not draw up a plan for their businesses. This paper presents the results of a secondary research survey on strategic marketing planning of SMEs in South Africa. They indicate that while the higher performing SMEs give a higher priority to marketing than to other business functions, they are still sales- or production-oriented. The higher performing SMEs are more aware of strategic planning tools. They compete with value-added products and good buyer-seller relationships. The findings suggest that broad, small business marketing principles to some extent contribute to the success of SMEs.
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Makhitha, K. M. "Do small craft businesses need strategic marketing to survive?" Investment Management and Financial Innovations 13, no. 2 (July 14, 2016): 399–404. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/imfi.13(2-2).2016.15.
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The purpose of this paper was to determine if small craft producer businesses need strategic marketing to survive. Existing literature on strategic marketing and the craft industry in South Africa (SA) was used to answer the following question: do small craft businesses need strategic marketing to survive? Since craft producers lack access to the market, they face major challenges in marketing their products successfully. Secondary research was used to determine the need of strategic marketing by craft producers in SA. Strategic marketing is crucial since craft producers must research changes developments taking place in the market and to be able to develop an appropriate marketing strategy to sustain their businesses. This will enable craft producers to identify customers and to formulate an appropriate marketing strategy to reach their chosen target market. The research revealed it enables them to identify customers and to formulate an appropriate marketing strategy to reach their chosen target market. The study revealed that craft producers do need strategic marketing to survive in South Africa
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Sephapo, Catherine Mpolokeng, Johannes Arnoldus Wiid, and Michael Colin Cant. "The perception of sponsorship usefulness among South African small business owners." Corporate Ownership and Control 11, no. 4 (2014): 475–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cocv11i4c5p6.
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Sponsorship is a powerful marketing tool that organisations in South Africa are embracing. From the evaluation of the sponsorship growth over the years, the industry in South Africa has developed from a R63 million industry in 1985 to the value of just under R7 billion in 2011 (City Press, 2012). Small businesses in South Africa are faced with the challenge of effectively reaching target segments. These small businesses are restricted in terms of limited marketing budgets and therefore need alternative ways of improving their brands in the eyes of the consumer. Theoretically, sponsorship is considered to improve the brand image of an organisation and ultimately improve sales. However, the question that this study aims to answer is whether small business owners perceive sponsorship to be a useful tool that even they can utilise. The study made use of a quantitative approach whereby a web-based questionnaire was distributed to small business owners. The findings indicated that the general attitude towards sponsorship as a marketing tool is positive. The correlation between sponsor sincerity and sponsorship usefulness was found positive; however, average in strength. Although sponsorship is seen as a useful tool, 15.4% of the respondents indicated that they would not consider using this marketing tool. This response may provide an opportunity for further research to be conducted which may shed some light on the strategies small business owners perceive to be most effective for their unique circumstances
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Rambe, Patient. "Social media marketing and business competitiveness: evidence from South African tourism SMMEs." Problems and Perspectives in Management 15, no. 2 (September 1, 2017): 411–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.15(2-2).2017.10.
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The increasing prominence of social media marketing in advancing the global reach and visibility of products and services is ideal for the South African tourism industry, which depends on local and international visitors for leveraging its business activities and competitiveness. However, what remains under-explored in tourism literature is the depth of integration of social media marketing into the competitive strategies of emerging tourism small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs). To address this grey area, this study explored the extent to which tourism SMMEs utilize social media technologies (SMTs) to extend their market share and the implications thereof for the competitiveness of their business operations. Drawing on a quantitative approach, a survey was conducted on 234 tourism SMMEs’ owner/managers in the Free State province of South Africa to establish the impact of social media marketing on the competitiveness of their businesses. Evidence suggests that tourism SMMEs employed social media marketing predominantly for online marketing of their products/services, promoting their products/services, attracting existing customers, and sometimes, for integrating it into their marketing strategies. Results of correlation analysis revealed that social media marketing is positively and significantly related to the competitiveness of tourism SMMEs. The recommendations for leveraging the integration of social media marketing into the competitive strategy of the small business are provided.
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Elliott, R., and C. Boshoff. "The utilisation of the Internet to market small tourism businesses." South African Journal of Business Management 36, no. 4 (December 30, 2005): 91–104. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v36i4.646.
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The tourism sector has been identified as an industry that has the potential to make a substantial contribution to the growth of the South African economy. The majority of tourism ventures are, however, small businesses, which differ from their larger counterparts not only in terms of size, but also in regard to access to resources and marketing expertise. Not surprisingly, one of the issues identified as preventing this sector from reaching its full potential is access to markets. The Internet has been identified as tool which may assist small businesses in both their global and domestic marketing.The focus of this study was to identify the factors specific to the Internet (rather than the technology per se or organisational factors) driving the success of the use of the Internet for marketing purposes in small businesses operating in the tourism sector in South Africa. If these factors can be identified and their relative influence on Internet marketing success be determined, it will allow small tourism businesses utilise the capabilities of the Internet more effectively.The results indicate that having a product champion in the business, having a network of effective alliances, a high level of owner-manager involvement in the Internet marketing strategy as well as a clear owner-manager vision are important to the successful use of the Internet for the marketing of small tourism businesses in South Africa.
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Makhitha, K. M. "Challenges impacting on small independent retailers performance in Soweto, Johannesburg in South Africa." Investment Management and Financial Innovations 13, no. 3 (September 23, 2016): 258–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/imfi.13(3-1).2016.12.
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This study investigated the challenges independent retailers in Soweto, Johannesburg in South Africa face. The empirical research using a survey method was conducted among independent retailers selling different types of goods. Due to inaccessibility of a database on independent retailers in SA, a convenience sampling method was adopted for the study. Existing literature was used to design a questionnaire targeted at independent retailers to investigate the challenges that impact on their business performance. The findings of the study revealed that competition is the major challenge that independent retailers face which is supported by existing research findings. Other challenges included costs of buying the products, high inventory costs and high rental costs. Furthermore, this study found that marketing related challenges are major challenges compared to finance related challenges. Independent retailers need to market the businesses appropriately in order to survive and do better than their competitors. Keywords: independent retailess, costs, buying, selling, goods. JEL Classification: L81, F1
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E T, Maziriri, and Chinomona E. "Modeling the Influence of Relationship Marketing, Green Marketing and Innovative Marketing on the Business Performance of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMES)." Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies 8, no. 3(J) (July 3, 2016): 127–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.22610/jebs.v8i3(j).1294.
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Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are considered as economic engines for many countries. In South Africa, the Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) sector has been acknowledged as the driving force to foster economic growth and job creations. This paper aimed at examining how relationship marketing, green marketing and innovative marketing influence the business performance of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in Southern Gauteng, South Africa. The study utilized a quantitative research paradigm. A structured questionnaire consisting of validated scales for relationship marketing, green marketing, innovative marketing and business performance was administered to a sample of 231 SMMEs managerial employees in the Southern Gauteng region of South Africa. Smart PLS was used to analyze the data and the results indicated that there are positive relationships between the posited research variables. Implications of the findings are discussed and limitations and future research directions are alluded to.
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Radipere, S., and L. Van Scheers. "Investigating whether a lack of marketing and managerial skills is the main cause of business failure in South Africa." South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences 8, no. 4 (July 25, 2014): 402–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v8i4.1171.
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The literature reveals that 40 per cent of new business ventures fail in their first year, 60 per cent in their second year, and 90 per cent in their first 10 years of existence. The research problem of this study is suggested by this high rate of business failure. This study investigates whether lack of marketing and managerial skills in business owners contributes to the high rate of business failure in South Africa.It is evident from the results that small business owners lack certain managerial skills, including financial, marketing and human-resource management skills, needed to operate their businesses successfully. The findings confirm that small business owners are in need of support services such as training, counselling, and financial assistance. They also show that small businesses are constrained not only by financial factors but also specifically by non-financial factors such as lack of education, inadequate managerial skills, poor access to markets, lack of information and unreliable infrastructure. The analysis also indicates that the managerial skills possessed by the respondents do not correlate with those that they preferably should have to run a successful business.The study concludes that a lack of marketing and managerial skills has a negative impact on the success, viability and development of small businesses. The challenge is to improve the managerial skills of small business owners, since the small business sector is widely considered to be the ideal site for the solving of South Africa’s unemployment problems and the rejuvenation of its stagnating economy.
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Wiid, Johannes Arnoldus, Michael Colin Cant, and Lizna Holtzhausen. "SWOT analysis in the small business sector of South Africa: friend or foe?" Corporate Ownership and Control 13, no. 1 (2015): 446–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.22495/cocv13i1c4p3.
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SMEs in South Africa are faced with a number of challenges, particularly poor levels of implementation in terms of accurately monitoring and predicting dynamic change in the macro environment. Following a strategic approach in scanning the external environment for opportunities and threats and identifying an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses using a SWOT analysis has become scarce in most SMEs. This research study aimed to establish if SMEs in South Africa use a SWOT analysis as part of their strategic management plan as well as to investigate if SMEs in South Africa take the time to identify and evaluate their internal and external environments. A questionnaire was administered and judgement sampling was used to gather the responses of 104 SMEs. The research identified that respondents were aware of the factors in specific functional areas that could be helpful to achieve business goals. The research also showed that financial management and marketing management were regarded as the most important drivers for achieving organisational objectives. The challenge now is to improve the use of the SWOT analysis of SMEs as they are the lifeline of the South African economy.
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van Scheers, Louise, and Maite Mashego. "Determine small farmers’ managerial skill needs in the Tshwane area of Gauteng, South Africa." Investment Management and Financial Innovations 13, no. 2 (June 3, 2016): 87–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/imfi.13(2).2016.09.
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It seems that most small farmers focus on technical skills rather than on conceptual skills, as technical skills are seen to contribute most to the performance of the small farm. The need for this research came from this perception and, therefore, the aim of this article is to determine the small farmers’ managerial skills level in the Tshwane area of Gauteng. A quantitative survey was conducted amongst 50 small farmers in the Tshwane area of Gauteng. The conducted research established that most small farmers focus on technical skills rather than on conceptual skills. Small farmers also indicated that they need training in marketing and financial management which are conceptual skills
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Small business - South Africa - Marketing"
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Muller, Franciscus Fredricus. "An analysis of factors that inhibit small and medium enterprises from exporting their products to South Africa's most important trading partners." Thesis, Port Elizabeth Technikon, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/197.
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The research problem addressed in this study was concerned with the identification of factors that inhibit Small and Medium Enterprises from exporting their products to South Africa’s most important trading partners. To achieve this objective, a theoretical study was conducted to establish what literature reveals to be the most important trading partners, and the problems which businesses experience when they export their products to these destinations from the Eastern Cape. The information obtained in the literature study was analysed, and, in order to resolve the main problem, the research questionnaire was divided into four parts. • Part 1 consisted of biographical questions. • Part 2 consisted of questions aimed at establishing the reasons why organisations embarked on exporting. • Part 3 was concerned with what the respondents perceived as barriers to their export operations. • Part 4 was concerned with strategic decisions and the minimising of risk. The empirical results obtained indicate that, although inhibiting factors are a reality in exporting, these remain secondary to general market forces of supply and demand. It was shown that inhibiting factors do not play as big a role in the export process as the literature suggests.
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Richardson, Bianca. "Selected marketing and branding practices among small and medium-sized family business in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19960.
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Based on the importance of small and medium-sized family businesses, with regard to their economic contributions, as well as the fact that their high failure rates limit their ability to positively contribute to the economic growth of South Africa, this study focused on selected marketing and branding practices of South African family SMEs, and whether these practices influence their financial performance and ultimately their survival. Against this background, the primary objective of this study was to investigate selected marketing and branding practices adopted by family SMEs in the Eastern Cape. An overview of the literature was provided whereby the nature and importance of SMEs, and more specifically family SMEs, were described. The various challenges SMEs face were explored, with marketing and branding being identified as one of the main challenges that contributes to the high failure rate of family SMEs. In addition to the marketing challenges faced by non-family SMEs, family SMEs face extra marketing hurdles, given the overlapping subsystem of family and business. However, despite these challenges, family SMEs are able to make use of their familial aspect by marketing and branding the business as family-owned. A positivistic research paradigm and quantitative research methodology was adopted for this study, using a descriptive research approach. The primary data collection procedures involved selecting the population, the sample, sampling techniques, and sample size. For the purpose of this study, the population consisted of all family SME owners operating within the borders of the Eastern Cape province. From the population, a sample was selected using both judgemental and convenience sampling. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, which resulted in 325 usable questionnaires, giving an effective response rate of 65.00 per cent. Given the cross-sectional nature of this study, a survey research method using a structured, selfadministered questionnaire was used to collect the primary data. The scales used to measure the factors under investigation were developed based on previous research. In order to assess the validity of the ordinal scales, tests for unidimensionality were undertaken. Only factor loadings exceeding the 0.5 cut-off point were considered significant. Not all the items loaded as expected. Only five of the original six items intended to measure the dependent variable Perceived financial performance loaded onto this factor. The researcher, together with two experts in the field of marketing and family businesses, deemed the items for the dichotomous questions to show evidence of content validity. The reliability of the ordinal scales was assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, whereby coefficients greater than 0.7 were deemed a scale to be reliable. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of greater than 0.7 were returned for all the factors measured using ordinal scales, except one factor namely Customer service differentiation. This factor was not considered for any further statistical analyses. The reliability of the dichotomous questions was assessed using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (K-R 20). For the purpose of this study, Kuder-Richardson values greater than 0.5 deemed the dichotomous questions to be reliable. Kuder-Richardson values of greater than 0.5 were reported for the dichotomous items relating to Branding of the family name, but not for Marketing function. However, given that the questions were used for descriptive purposes only, the items measuring Marketing function were used for statistical analysis. The independent variables returned mean scores of between 3.220 and 3.773, with the majority of respondents feeling neutral or agreeing with the statements measuring these factors. The dependent variable Perceived financial performance returned the highest mean score of all the factors with the majority of respondents agreeing with the statements measuring this factor. The dichotomous questions relating to the Marketing function indicated that majority of respondents did not have a written marketing strategy or a separate department that deals with marketing for their family business. The dichotomous questions relating to Branding of the family name revealed that in most instances the family name (surname) does not appear in the name, brand, logo or advertising material of the family business. Most of the independent variables (Promotion of family business, Family business image and Stakeholder perception) reported significant and positive relationships with each other. The independent variable Perceived financial performance reported significantly positive relationships with two independent variables, namely Product differentiation and Family business image. The multiple regression analyses undertaken revealed that only one of the independent variables, namely Product differentiation, had a significant positive influence on the dependaet variable Perceived financial performance. This study found that the independent variables Promotion of family business and Family business image did not have a significant influence on the dependent variable Perceived financial performance. The results of the two single regression analyses revealed that a significant positive linear relationship exists between Stakeholder perception and Promotion of family business, as well as between Stakeholder perception and Family business image. The findings of the analysis of variance found that Number of employees was the only demographic variable that exerted a significant influence on Product differentiation. The results also indicated that Age of respondent, Generation ownership and Nature of family business had an influence on Promotion of family business. However, the post-hoc Scheffé test revealed that only Generation ownership had a significant influence on Promotion of family business. The analysis of variance also found that the demographic variables Age of respondent, Generation ownership and Number of employees exerted a significant influence on Family business image; however, the post-hoc Scheffé found that only Generation ownership had a significant influence on Family business image. Based on the findings of this study, numerous recommendations were proposed to assist the owners of family SMEs to ultimately improve their business’s financial performance by adopting appropriate marketing and branding practices. The findings of this study showed that by adopting a Product differentiation competitive orientation, family SME owners can enhance their financial performance. It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide family SME owners with practical suggestions on how to use a product differentiation competitive orientation to ultimately increase their longevity, and that the suggestions for future research will inspire future researchers to continue investigating the unique marketing and branding practices of family SMEs.
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Oji, Obiefula Nnadi Elvis. "Usage barriers and effectiveness of social media platforms by small businesses in the Cape Metropole, in South Africa." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2537.
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Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.SMMEs have been touted as the major driver of any economy – they create jobs, reduce poverty level and generally improve the livelihood of a society. Even with these lofty advantages, SMMEs encounter numerous challenges. These range from lack of access to funding, poor education and understanding of small business management practices. Embedded in small business management practice, is the need to undertake proper marketing. Marketing has recently featured as one of the main challenges of small businesses. Lately several marketing channels have emerged in response to this challenge. These channels have been reported to have positive impact on the bottom line of businesses. This study sought to discover whether social media platforms are deployed within the hospitality sector in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape Province, South Africa, to enhance the growth of restaurants. The study was motivated by the lack of alternative marketing channels using social media platforms, especially in the hospitality industry in the Cape Metropole. Essentially, to achieve this aim, a survey was conducted of SMMEs with employment capacity of not more than 50 employees, specifically within the hospitality sector in the Cape Metropole. A quantitative methodology was applied, using a self-administered questionnaire, distributed to 100 SMMEs in the Cape Metropole. The method of data analysis was purposive. The findings of this research indicate that most of the sampled small businesses used social media platforms. The findings also suggest that SMMEs perceived social media to have moderately effective marketing tools, with WhatsApp as the most effective, followed by Facebook and Twitter. The findings suggest that most respondents used the platform to inform their clients about a business promotion; for new product marketing; for customer loyalty, and for socialising with clients. It was found that if the highest percentage, used for socialising, was then channelled towards strategic marketing, it would significantly boost small business marketing capabilities. This could fill the gap of sustainable marketing strategies.
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Basson, Paul M. "International market entry : a South African SME perspective." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50375.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since many Small Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) have a lack of resources and knowledge of foreign markets, they tend to develop their activities in the domestic market ftrst. When the home market limits opportunities for expansion. pro-active SMEs naturally progress to international activities by exporting to foreign markets. This natural evolution culminates in decisions of how to enter foreign markets and which markets to enter. Selection of overseas markets and entry modes lies at the heart of any international strategy. The value of the small business sector is recognised in economies worldwide. The SMEs' contribution towards growth, job creation and social progress is valued highly and small business is regarded as an essential element in a successful formula for achieving economic growth. It is thus postulated that SMEs will be one of the driving forces to grow the South African economy. By gaining an understanding of the internationalisation process of International Active Enterprises it is hoped to provide the South African SMEs with a tool that can be used for their international expansion programs. The author starts by reviewing relevant and related literature. He then investigates and highlights the different schools of thought on intemationalisation by looking at process, models, strategy and motivation. The research then describes the different modes of market entry and continues by listing the basic factor categories for market entry mode selection. The penultimate step highlights the various factors for selection of foreign markets and applies these factors into a holistic market entry and mode selection model. Finally the internationalisation is focused on SME and more specifically South African SMEs. Their internationalisation behaviour is explained in the light of the model that was developed. The author explains the framework that will be used to model an international market selection and the mode of entry into that international market. This model can guide SMEs into initial international market entry and to make decisive choices as to which international market and mode of entry they select to penetrate international markets.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Klein en medium grootte sake-ondernemings het 'n tekort aan bronne en kennis van oorsese markte en dienooreenkomstig ontwikkel hulle eers hul besigheidsaktiwiteite in die binnelandse markte. Wanneer die binnelandse besigheidsgroei-geleenthede versadig word, sal sodanige pro-aktiewe klein en medium grootte sake-ondernemings huI produkte begin uitvoer in 'n poging om nuwe markgroei te stimuleer. Hierdie natuurlike evolusie dwing die onderneming om besluite te neem oor hoe om sodanige buitelandse markte te betree, asook die markkeuse op sigself. Die markkeuse en markbetredings metodiek is die kern van enige internasionale strategie. Die ekonomiese waarde van die klein en medium grootte sake-ondememingsektor word wereldwyd erken. Hulle bydrae tot groei, werkskepping, en sosiale ontwikkeling word wyd erken. So word klein en medium grootte sake-ondememings dan gesien as 'n kardinale bestanddeel om ekonomiese groei te behaal. Dit word dus gestel dat klein en medium grootte sake-ondememings een van die dryfvere vir ekonomiese ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika sal wees. Die ondersoek van die intemasionaliseringsproses van buitelands-aktiewe ondernemings sal 'n model formuleer wat die Suid-Afrikaanse klein en medium grootte sake-ondememings kan bystaan met hul buitelandse markgroei. Die skrywer begin om die relevante literatuur te bestudeer en beklemtoon die verskillende denkwyses oor buitelandse groei deur te kyk na prosesse, modelle, strategiee en motiverings. Die navorsingstuk beskryf dan die verskillende metodes van markbetreding en Iys die verskillende faktore wat 'n invloed het op die betredingsvraagstuk. Die voorlaaste stap in die model beskryf die verskillende faktore wat 'n rol speel op die buitelandse markkeuse. Al hierdie mark- en betredingsfaktore word in 'n globale model gestruktureer. Laastens word daar gefokus op die Suid-Afrikaanse klein en medium grootte sake-ondememings en hulle internasionaliseringsoptrede word in die lig van die model geskets. Die skrywer verduidelik dus die raamwerk wat gebruik word om buitelandse markbetreding en markkeuse te modelleer. Hierdie model toon rigting aan klein en medium grootte sakeondememings se aanvanklike buitelandse belangstelling en ook hoe om daadwerklike besluite te neem oor buitelandse markbetreding en buitelandse markkeuses.
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Jansen, van Rensburg Charmaine. "Online marketing of commercial and industrial properties and services in a small business." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020988.
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In view of the factors influencing and the steps in the design of a Website, building a successful Website will vary from business to business. This study investigates what is required from a small commercial and industrial property and services business to take their business online and create an effective Website. The environment of the property market reflected the role that government plays in the property industry and also the role of the private sector. Marketing in the real estate context indicated that if real estate agents have access to the right type of information, not only can they add value to their own organizations, but they can also capitalize on the same information to create added value for their clients. The elements of the marketing management process include four steps, namely to gather information, to set marketing goals and plan strategy, to organize and implement marketing strategy and to control the marketing activities. Marketing in the online environment showed that the Marketing Mix includes personalisation, privacy, customer services, community, site, security and sales promotion. The principles of online marketing revealed the important role of the customer and customer relationships. An investigation into the difference between e-commerce and online marketing made it clear that online marketing is one component of e-commerce. This study critically analysed the available literature in order to suggest a proposed framework of what should be included in the Website of a small commercial and industrial property and services business. In order to successfully research online marketing of commercial and industrial properties and services in a small business, a basic but thorough understanding of online marketing principles and Website content are important. In this study a qualitative research approach was followed where secondary sources were critically evaluated to design the required framework. Thereafter three Websites of marketing of commercial and industrial properties and services were content analysed to see whether anything else should be added to the framework. This would assist in taking a small business in commercial and industrial properties and services online. The framework suggests that the Website homepage content should include: Business overview/information Products/services What’s new Search Employment opportunities Interactive feedback Customer service/ assistance Index/directory Financial facts Links to other sites Online business services/utilities Guest book Frequently Asked Questions Messages from CEO A purposeful sample of three Websites was then content analysed so as to provide the information necessary to reach the objectives of the study. The following Websites were included in the content analysis: Broll, which operates as a national agency with international associations. The firm renders services (Estate Agency) and does not own property. Bruce McWilliams Industries Pty Ltd is operative in Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and surrounds. It is a family business that owns property, which it develops and markets itself. Seeff is a national agency. It renders services (estate agency) and does not own property. Lastly, a narrative of a small commercial and industrial property and services business was created by means of document analysis of a specific business. The researcher was allowed to study the documents and diaries of the business in order to provide a narrative for this business. This narrative can be used as part of the envisaged Website for the business.
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Chipunza, Lovemore Tendayi. "Driving innovation in small accommodation businesses : a comparative study of Zimbabwe and South Africa." Thesis, Bloemfontein: Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/274.
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Thesis (D. Tech. (Business Administration )) - Central University of Technology, Free StateThe purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which certain selected factors serve as drivers of innovation in small accommodation businesses (SABs) in two developing economies in Southern Africa namely South Africa and Zimbabwe with the ultimate aim of assisting policy makers and support agencies in formulating innovation oriented strategies for the sector. Two samples were randomly selected from SABs in Zimbabwe and South Africa- two neighbouring Southern African countries. Parametric tests which include t-tests and one-way ANOVAs as well as Bonferonni tests as post-hoc measures were used to test whether SAB propensity to engage in different dimensions of innovation differs by gender; firm size, owner-managers’ years of experience and level of education respectively. Pearson Product Moment Correlations were employed to assess the relationships between market orientation, learning orientation and innovation while Chi-square tests were performed to establish the inter-relationships between independent demographic variables, namely age, gender, education and work experience. In order to investigate whether there are any significant interaction effects between the age of the respondents and their experience in the accommodation sector on each of the five innovation measures, a series of two-way ANOVA tests were performed. Lastly, regression analysis was used to determine the relative efficacy of market orientation (MO), learning orientation (LO) and country in predicting innovation in a business. The results demonstrate that unlike firm size, gender and level of education, which have no association with innovation, there is a strong association between market orientation, learning orientation, owner/managers age and experience and innovation in the two countries. This positive association implies that SABs that are committed to, listen attentively to and learn proactively about their customers’ needs and expectations are better inclined to engage in all the different dimensions of innovation (product/service, process, marketing and organisational) than their counterparts who do not engage in these activities. Among other drivers of innovation, market orientation emerged as the main predictor implying that SABs that invest more in marketing tend to be better innovators than those that invest in learning irrespective of their country of operation. The study also revealed that younger owner/managers of SABs tend to be more innovative than their older, experienced counterparts. The study makes an important contribution to literature on the drivers of innovation in small accommodation businesses in developing economies by dispelling firm size, gender and level of education which were regarded as drivers of innovation across industries previously. Practice and policy wise, the study led to the development of a conceptual framework for investigating how best to drive innovation in local SABs in order to make them more competitive, survive and grow in the face of competition from large accommodation businesses that often happen to be multinational.
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Elliott, Roger Michael. "A study of the factors influencing the success of internet marketing in small South African tourism businesses." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016252.
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The tourism sector has been identified as an industry that has the potential to make a substantial contribution to job creation, economic growth, and redressing past imbalances in South Africa as it has been recognised as an underexploited sector with considerable potential for growth. The majority of tourism enterprises fall within the definition of small businesses, which have been identified as the most appropriate enterprises through which the economic challenges facing South Africa can be addressed. Small businesses differ from their larger counterparts not only in terms of size, but also in regard to access to resources and marketing expertise. Not surprisingly, one of the issues identified as preventing this sector from reaching its full potential is access to markets. The focus of this study is to identify the primary factors driving the success of the use of the Internet for marketing in small businesses operating in the tourism sector in South Africa. If these factors can be identified, this will allow existing and emerging small businesses to access markets and retain customers more easily leading to a proliferation of these enterprises. A theoretical model was formulated from the literature in which the factors influencing the success of Internet marketing were identified. These factors can broadly be divided into generic (marketing or management) factors and Internet specific factors. The technological aspects of the Internet were not ignored, but regarded as a resource to be managed rather than an autonomous source of competitive advantage. This model was tested by making use of a large-scale empirical study. Convenience sampling was used and the data was collected from small tourism businesses (that is businesses with fewer than 100 employees) in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. The factors were identified using exploratory factor analysis and the Cronbach alpha coefficients were assessed to confirm the reliability of these scales. Structural equation modelling was used as the principal mode of statistical analysis to measure the relationships amongst the variables in the model proposed in this study. A correlation analysis was used to measure the impact of marketing objectives on the success of Internet marketing. The primary determinants of the success of Internet marketing in small businesses operating in the tow-ism sector in South Africa were identified by the empirical study as: Product champion Links Alliances Owner-manager knowledge Entrepreneurial orientation Owner-manager vision Customer orientation Marketing objectives Interestingly, one factor, Strategic planning, recorded a negative influence on the success of Internet marketing. This is possibly because the owner-manager felt that this was a redundant exercise given the dominant and pervasive influence of the owner-manager in all spheres of the business. Nevertheless, if small tourism firms consider the factors identified in this thesis as essential aspects in the use of the Internet for marketing, this will allow them to overcome one of the biggest hurdles to their prosperity, namely, the access to markets.
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Naicker, Visvanathan. "The adoption of electronic data interchange among small to medium enterprise suppliers to a large distribution center in South Africa." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_7766_1254987098.
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Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) plays an important role in improving organizational competitiveness. Information technology has been instrumental in integrating functional areas within and outside firms. This research used empirical evidence to evaluate the state of EDI in the in the willingness of SME's to connect electronically to a large distribution centre in South Africa. Furthermore, it investigated the EDI adoption rate from the viewpoint of a small business. Many such businesses feel coerced by larger trade partners to adopt EDI or lose the customer.
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Van, Heerden Garth William. "Constraints to the implementation of a market development approach to the delivery of business Development Services within the Makana municipal area." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007746.
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South Africa's biggest challenge remains the high rate of unemployment especially among the country's youth. Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) have been shown to be instrumental in many third world economies as a sustainable means not only to address unemployment but also to contribute significantly to economic growth. Despite government's good intentions and support, the South African SMME sector is not growing as expected and this is impacting negatively on unemployment creation in the country. Good business development services (BDS) is necessary to support SMMEs and specifically the Market Development Approach to the provision of BDS, where subsidies are replaced by private payment for services. Makana municipal area provided scope for analysing the constraints to the implementation of such business development services. Analysing the scope and magnitude of the constraints in this setting would contribute to understanding the constraints also in other parts of the country and help officials in local economic development make better informed decisions regarding support to SMMEs. Authors like Rogerson (2011), UNDP (2004), Miehlbradt and McVay, (2003), the Committee of Donor Agencies for SME Development (Blue book) (2001) and Bear et al., (2001) Gibson (2001), propose that the key to sustainable BDS is the implementation of the Market Development approach which focusses on for-profit activities in the provision of BDS to SMMEs. The aim of this study was to examine perceptions of key stakeholders towards SMME support and development, to identify the constraints to the implementation of a Market Development approach to the provision of business development services to SMMEs in the Makana area and to make recommendations to the Makana LED office of possible intervention strategies to address identified constraints. Purposive sampling was used to identify key stakeholders in SMME support in the Makana area in the categories of, big institutional buyers, public and private BDS providers as well the municipal LED office. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each stakeholder using questions shown in appendixes A to D. Perceptions of all key stakeholders were very positive with good intentions to support SMMEs. However, this was not consistent with procurement practice at the big institutional buyers. Constraints are summarized in the following five themes: Theme 1. Inconsistent practice in dealing with SMMEs across the organisation. Theme 2. Absence of a cooperative body or Chamber of Commerce. Theme 3. Fragmented Business Development Services. Theme 4. A lack of a culture of cost recovery. Theme 5. Limited awareness of BDS in the Makana area. A number of recommendations were suggested. Big institutional buyers like Rhodes University and Makana municipality need to take a longer term view and move the focus from employment creation to enterprise support which is a more sustainable and empowering source of employment (ILO, 2009). The Grahamstown Chamber of Commerce should become more representative and big institutional buyers also need to be convinced of the value of private BDS. Stakeholders should work together to combine resources to offer a comprehensive one-stop BDS for the Makana area (Chetty, 2009) and this comprehensive BDS should be provided according to the Market Development approach focusing on those services that lend themselves better to this approach whilst using subsidies only for those services with a low potential for cost recovery (UNDP, 2004).
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Hove, Progress. "The impact of technological marketing on Porter's competitive forces model and SMEs' performance." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007120.
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It is commonly understood that the adoption and development of technological marketing capabilities by firms provides them with immense opportunities to transform their business practices and strategies, so as to strategically position themselves in the market and enhance firm performance. Nevertheless, little attention has, thus far, been given to the empirical investigation of the impact of adopting and developing the technological marketing on Porter‟s five competitive forces and firm performance of SMEs. The principal objective of this study was to fill this void by investigating the influence of the technological marketing on Porter‟s five competitive forces model (industry structure) of SMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Secondarily, the study sought to determine the influence of technological marketing capability on firm performance of SMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality; in order to ascertain whether or not the competitiveness of SMEs impacts on their firm performance; to determine whether or not SMEs adopt new and advanced technological capabilities when marketing their products/services and to examine whether or not SMEs adopt new and advanced technological capabilities in order to enhance their performance. The study employs a quantitative method in data collection. Sample data from 211 SME owners/managers in the retail and manufacturing sectors of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality was collected for the final data analysis of this project. The sample data was analysed by performing a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS 7 Statistical Analysis software. The principal finding of this study reveals that technological marketing has no significant impact on Porter‟s five forces. In addition, the results showed that technological marketing capability has a positive and significant influence on firm performance. The findings also revealed that SMEs adopt new and advanced technologies when marketing their products and services. The conclusions and implications of the research findings are provided and recommendations are suggested. The researcher recommended non technological strategies for improving SMEs‟ competitiveness and the following technological strategies to boost performance: creating a customer-centric e-commerce strategy, embracing outsourcing, joining e-business community and integrating information management into new marketing technologies. Strategies were also recommended to the government as the policy maker. These include introducing e-business finance arrangement, marketing hubs for SMEs and promoting synergies between technology vendor companies and the small enterprises. The study tried to address marketing technologies‟ policy deficiencies on the side of both SMEs and the government.
Books on the topic "Small business - South Africa - Marketing"
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Pithey, Maureen. It's your business!: The small business guide for South Africa. Diep River: Chameleon Press, 1986.
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Cattell, K. S. Small black builders in South Africa: Problems and prospects. Cape Town: Dept. of Construction Economics and Management, Univ.of Cape Town, 1994.
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Coolidge, Jacqueline G. Small businesses in South Africa: Who outsources tax compliance work and why ? [Washington, D.C: World Bank, 2009.
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Thomas, Wolfgang H. Promoting business linkages to strengthen small business in Namibia: Lessons from South Africa. [Windhoek]: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung - Namibia Office, 1995.
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Identity landscapes, social capital, and entrepreneurship: Small business in South Africa. Johannesburg: Centre for Policy Studies, 2001.
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Catunda, Fabio. Towards an evaluation of a market entry strategy for Irish SME's to South America. Dublin: University College Dublin, 1997.
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Mike, Lipkin, ed. Revelling in the wild: Business lessons out of Africa. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1993.
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Ethel, Hazelhurst, ed. Banking on change: Democratising finance in South Africa 1994-2004. Cape Town: Double Storey, 2004.
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Karen, Thorne, Media Development and Diversity Agency (South Africa), Human Sciences Research Council. Social Cohesion & Integration Research Programme., and Mediaworks (South Africa), eds. The people's voice: The development and current state of the South African small media sector. Cape Town: HSRC Publishers, 2004.
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Farwer, Christine. Der informelle Sektor: Kleine und mittlere Unternehmen in Afrika : eine Auswahlbibliographie zu den Ländern südlich der Sahara = The informal sector : small and medium enterprises in Africa : a selected bibliography on the countries south of the Sahara. Hamburg: Deutsches Übersee-Institut, Übersee-Dokumentation, Referat Afrika, 1996.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Small business - South Africa - Marketing"
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Hesketh, Marlene. "Helping Small and Medium Business." In Can South and Southern Africa become Globally Competitive Economies?, 251–57. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 1996. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24972-5_23.
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Hugo-Burrows, Ria. "Trends and Issues in Multicultural Business Communications in South Africa - An Exploratory Perspective." In Proceedings of the 1998 Multicultural Marketing Conference, 467–68. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17383-2_93.
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Musemwa, Lovemore, and Abyssinia Mushunje. "Marketing challenges and opportunities faced by the Nguni cattle project beneficiaries in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa." In Institutional constraints to small farmer development in Southern Africa, 121–35. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-704-2_6.
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Berndt, Adele, HB Klopper, Ilse Niemann-Struweg, and Corne Meintjes. "Resident Co-creation: The case of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa." In The Customer is NOT Always Right? Marketing Orientationsin a Dynamic Business World, 333. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50008-9_88.
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Dutta, Gautam. "International Branding at Mirza International." In Advances in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, and E-Services, 107–20. IGI Global, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4357-4.ch009.
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Today, due to globalization, enterprises are increasingly looking towards the global marketplace to market their products. The business opportunities in the foreign markets are no longer considered as only available to large multinational enterprises with long term foreign market presence. Enterprises today, regardless size, take part in a global competitive market which is supported by great advances in information technologies, communication, and transportation. This trend solves one of the main weaknesses found in comparatively smaller enterprises of traditional focus: home country market dependency. The case focuses on Mirza International Limited which originated from a small Indian Tannery business. The company is led by an ambitious, aggressive management team which has helped in achieving phenomenal growth. The company has emerged as a frontrunner in the manufacturing and marketing of footwear. Headquartered in New Delhi, the company markets its leather and leather footwear products, across the globe the UK, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, and so forth. However, company management is now at a crossroads in regards to a more aggressive approach to international brand building for its product and strategic decisions. This case aims to address these issues regarding smaller company’s internationalization and marketing. The case focuses on the dilemma often faced by medium sized firms from Asia in entering developed country markets in terms of branding or generic product development strategy. The case illustrates the differences in brand building that exist in a big multinational company and in smaller companies during internationalization.
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"Lowering barriers to entrepreneurship and promoting small business growth." In OECD Economic Surveys: South Africa, 105–40. OECD, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eco_surveys-zaf-2017-6-en.
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Scheers, Louise van, and Simon Radipere. "Perceptions of Small Business Owners on Managerial Skills: Problems in Business Development in South Africa." In The Role of Academic Institutions and Societies in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals, 185–93. WASD, 2004. http://dx.doi.org/10.47556/b.outlook2004.2.16.
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Takhar, Amandeep, Pepukayi Chitakunye, and Ziska Fields. "SMS Marketing." In Advances in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, and E-Services, 37–66. IGI Global, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4864-7.ch004.
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This chapter seeks to extend current knowledge relating to innovative methods in marketing. The authors consider the significance of SMS marketing amongst Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within South Africa and aim to emphasise the various advantages of SMS marketing to SMEs within emerging economies. They look at how SMS marketing has emerged within the Western world and how it could be just as successful in emerging economies. Different factors are considered such as the background to SMS marketing, what SMS marketing entails, the trends of SMS marketing globally and more specifically within South Africa. The authors then discuss the emergent key themes of SMS marketing relating to its most beneficial characteristics such as cost efficiency, reach, and consumer perceptions. The findings offer significant insight into how SMEs can better understand consumer perceptions about SMS and in turn employ SMS marketing as a source of sustainable competitive advantage.
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Takhar, Amandeep, Pepukayi Chitakunye, and Ziska Fields. "SMS Marketing." In Marketing and Consumer Behavior, 1–30. IGI Global, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-7357-1.ch001.
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This chapter seeks to extend current knowledge relating to innovative methods in marketing. The authors consider the significance of SMS marketing amongst Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within South Africa and aim to emphasise the various advantages of SMS marketing to SMEs within emerging economies. They look at how SMS marketing has emerged within the Western world and how it could be just as successful in emerging economies. Different factors are considered such as the background to SMS marketing, what SMS marketing entails, the trends of SMS marketing globally and more specifically within South Africa. The authors then discuss the emergent key themes of SMS marketing relating to its most beneficial characteristics such as cost efficiency, reach, and consumer perceptions. The findings offer significant insight into how SMEs can better understand consumer perceptions about SMS and in turn employ SMS marketing as a source of sustainable competitive advantage.
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Pillay, Gnanam, and Sylvia Kaye. "Exploring Social Entrepreneurship for the Creation of Sustainable Livelihoods in South Africa." In Incorporating Business Models and Strategies into Social Entrepreneurship, 240–66. IGI Global, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-8748-6.ch014.
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Although social entrepreneurship has grown rapidly in developed and many developing countries around the world, it is still in its infancy in South Africa. To date, there is limited research available about social entrepreneurship in South Africa. While there are many reasons for its slow development in this country, a significant reason is the poor understanding of the concept, which would preclude investment in programmes, policies and research. This chapter presents an overview of South African issues and analyses how social entrepreneurial development can address some of the problems and issues. The more pressing problems include extreme inequality, high poverty levels and unemployment, a weak Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) sector, fragmented communities and an economic system that needs to strengthen both social and economic development. The chapter presents the model developed as a result of research that contextualizes social entrepreneurial development for a South African market.
Conference papers on the topic "Small business - South Africa - Marketing"
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Madzima, Kudakwashe, Moses Moyo, and Hanifa Abdullah. "Is bring your own device an institutional information security risk for small-scale business organisations?" In 2014 Information Security for South Africa (ISSA). IEEE, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/issa.2014.6950497.
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Yan, B., and L. Zhang. "An approach of quality management in the small business environment of South Africa." In 2011 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM). IEEE, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ieem.2011.6118004.
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Yan, B., and L. Zhang. "An approach of quality management in the small business environment of South Africa." In 2011 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Workshop Series on Innovative Wireless Power Transmission: Technologies, Systems, and Applications (IMWS 2011). IEEE, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/imws.2011.6115236.
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Adeyelure, Tope Samuel, Billy Mathias Kalema, and Kelvin Joseph Bwalya. "Development of Mobile Business Intelligence framework for small and medium enterprises in developing countries: Case study of South Africa and Nigeria." In 2016 4th International Symposium on Computational and Business Intelligence (ISCBI). IEEE, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/iscbi.2016.7743252.
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Agyemang, Malena, and Nathan G. Johnson. "Development of Biomass Energy Technologies and Business Models for Southern Africa." In ASME 2015 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2015-48033.
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This study evaluates options for biomass pellet formulations and business models to create a sustainable energy solution for cooking energy in Southern Africa. Various agricultural wastes and agro-processing wastes are investigated to meet industry standards on biomass pellet quality. These fuels are obtained from farms and facilities across a geographic area that affects the end-cost of the pellet through transportation costs and the cost of the biomass. The technical performance of the pellet and cost of the pellet are first contrasted and then optimized in unison to develop sustainable energy options that can provide year-round clean energy for household cooking and heating needs. A market was analyzed using wheat, sugarcane and maize crops as components for the biomass pellet fuel source in the Zululand district of South Africa. Using a target moisture content (MCtarget) of 8–10%, a target lower heating value (LHVtarget) greater than 16.0 MJ/kg and a target percent ash (Ashtarget) less than 3%, pellet metrics were optimized. The cost of the crops for the pellets was dependent upon the amount of each biomass used to make up the composition of the pellet. The production demand was then analyzed based on the most current consumer cooking fuel demand within South Africa. The production model was evaluated for three factory sizes; small (1hr/ton), medium (3hr/ton), and large (5hr/ton). Primary shipping cost is based on factory location and has a major impact on the cost of the pellet for the consumer as well as the availability of the supply. Factory location was analyzed by varying the biomass crop distance to the factory. Several business models are evaluated within this study to show which representation results in a high quality pellet of low cost to consumer. The study suggests the pellet be composed of 44.62% sugarcane, 47.49% maize, and 0.82% wheat resulting in a LHV of 16.00 MJ/kg, a MC of 8 (w/w%), and an ash content of 3 (w/w%). The optimal cost of the biomass fuel pellet for the consumer ranged from 172.77US$/ton to 185.03 US$/ton.
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Kadir, Abd Rahman, Najmi Kamariah, and Nina Fapari Arif. "Innovation of Digital Start Up Business Model with 4As Marketing Approach and its Application in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in South Sulawesi." In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Accounting, Management and Economics 2018 (ICAME 2018). Paris, France: Atlantis Press, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.2991/icame-18.2019.58.
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Rhodes, Jo. "Can E- Commerce Enable Marketing in an African Rural Women's Community Based Development Organisation?" In 2001 Informing Science Conference. Informing Science Institute, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.28945/2379.
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The World Bank Development Report (2000) findings show that at the macro level the most effective anti poverty policies are those that achieve equity through redistribution whilst simultaneously enhancing the efficiency of the markets used by poor people. It also found that even if markets work, poor people need assistance to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from freely accessing markets on an equal basis with other business groups. Investment in infrastructure and modern technologies such as ITC’s may break down some of the barriers of access such as physical remoteness and are cited by the World Bank as a potential solution to creating market access. However there is little existing research that examines this scenario at the micro level. This paper uses a case study- the Rural Women's Association (RWA) of Sekhuhkuneland, Northern Province, South Africa to examine if E- commerce can enable access to markets in a impoverished, under resourced rural location. This paper has 5 parts: Part 1 consists of the background and rationale for this study, Part 2 focuses on the education, business acumen and gender issues. Part 3 discusses the current market environment. Part 4 discusses possible business models that can integrate e-commerce in its implementation. Part 5 provides the research questions and the methodology for this study. The final discussion in this study provides us with a viable e- commerce model that could be used in a rural setting and could provide greater economic development for this community.
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Onojaefe, Darlington, and Marcus Leaning. "The Importance of Partnerships: The Relationship between Small Businesses ICT and Local Communities." In InSITE 2007: Informing Science + IT Education Conference. Informing Science Institute, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.28945/3169.
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The deployment of new technologies such as the Internet is often understood to positively change the way that business works. However it is important to realise that success is not automatic and a number of other factors must also be considered. In this paper it is argued that a wider range of skills is needed than just technical skills, and a wider vision is needed than just the vision of one business. Small businesses, widely considered a suitable vehicle for sustainable development, must be seen in the context of their communities, for their relationship with public sector agencies and other supporting and regulatory bodies, and as partners to much larger businesses. This paper is based on small-scale qualitative fieldwork conducted with small businesses that make extensive use of ICT located in Cape Town, South Africa and Swansea in South Wales, a deprived region of the UK. It was found that for businesses to succeed a range of competencies are by business managers needed that facilitate relationships and partnerships, these are in addition to the skills needed for simple internal operational issues. Moreover as the nature of partnerships change the mix of required competencies vary from one circumstance to another. A model is presented that shows some of the critical relationships between the Internet (on the one hand) and the stakeholders of a business and the relationships with them (on the other).
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Anderson, John Robert Beveridge. "Design and Development of the Msikaba and Mtentu River Bridges." In IABSE Conference, Kuala Lumpur 2018: Engineering the Developing World. Zurich, Switzerland: International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.2749/kualalumpur.2018.0497.
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<p>The story of the Msikaba and Mtentu River Bridges is a story about the Transkei Region in South Africa. The area’s unfenced rural landscape is considered unique and is characterised by steep gorges and rivers that run down to the Wild Coast. The civil engineers of the past avoided the area and the main highway connecting the ports of Durban and East London runs 200 km inland. This is now changing with the South African National Roads Agency’s SOC Ltd (SANRAL’s) procurement of the new N2 Wild Coast Road that will realign the highway within 30 km of the coast. The project includes two new crossings, one a 580 m span cable-stayed bridge, the other a 1.1 km long viaduct with a 260 m central balanced cantilever span, across the deepest gorges on the route. Their design and procurement is however driven not only by their physical environment but the need to create jobs, business opportunities for small local enterprises and community development projects that will leave a legacy and a long term economic benefit.</p>
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Ahuja, Anil K., Sanjay Pande, Vivek Gangwar, Yogesh Sharma, and Anubhav Dahiya. "A Study of Indian Power Plant MRO (Maintenance Repair Overhaul) Industry." In ASME 2008 Power Conference. ASMEDC, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/power2008-60023.
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Indian power sector has made significant progress despite legacy industry constraints. The current installed capacity is 140,000 MW and is growing at about 10% annually. The capacity utilization is beyond known benchmarks i.e. national average is over 78% and while NTPC over 92%. Traditional Indian MRO strategy is based on strategic improvisations to obtain the best out of prevailing industry and restricted maintenance windows. Power plant MRO in India faces issues of service and quality response. It presents an area which has scope for systemic improvements. The subject is also important due to linkage to energy efficiency improvement potentials which are central to global climate initiatives. “MRO Study Project” was undertaken by NTPC (along with Frost & Sullivan) with participation of other Indian generating companies to create a holistic industry view to accurately directionalize the improvement efforts. Power plant MRO is a weakly documented subject in India whereas for industrial countries it’s an almost settled issue. The project — which targeted creation of insights into power station and vendor side — therefore called for significant primary research. Teams visited most of the 36 participating Indian power stations and interviewed 40 MRO vendors (out of 200 participants). For best practice reference creation, visits were made to 7 power stations in Germany while information was also gathered from USA, South Africa and China. The project deliverables include a project report and certain data base considered useful to the industry. Indian power plant MRO has evolved around capacity utilization as the centre. The processes are man power intensive characterized by 1000 very small vendors who work for some 140 thermal stations. Survey indicated service and quality issues as well as inadequate technical back up of vendors which is compensated by plant personnel supervision. New objectives of efficiency improvement and costs reduction call for fundamental changes in areas of tooling, craft skill sets and procedures. MRO Destination envisions emergence of new industry components other than workforce providers — maintenance companies, maintenance schools, certification companies etc. The road map for change recommends three key focus areas: tariff structure which incentivizes efficiency improvement through MRO, best practice infusion to the MRO business and contracting processes improvements of power stations. Involvement of international vendors is expected to provide the best practice exposure as well as catalyze changes in the internal systems. Industry level initiative is recommended by creating a platform for accelerating change and cost effectiveness. The paper presents the project process, key data/analysis, salient findings and business opportunities. For India and many developing countries with similar focus, the work could be useful as it provides a structured platform for internal diagnostics on MRO as well as provides the prospective partners (international utilities and MRO service providers) with Indian MRO business nuances and opportunities to better plan possible business tie ups.