This study investigates factors that influence business performance of home-based enterprises in
South Africa. There is a wide debate in literature about failure of spaza shops run by South
Africans, while those run by foreigners seem to flourish. Through this study. I try to investigate
why the spaza shop business seems difficult for South Africans after they had been living
participants in it for a long time.
The focus of this study is Mthatha West townships, which include Mandela, Joe Slovo and Chris
Hani Park informal settlements. These townships are situated in the West part of Mthatha in King
Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality. King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality is one of
the five Local Municipalities that form the Oliver Reginald Tambo District Municipality in the
Eastern part of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.
I chose Mthatha West townships because they are the newest and biggest surrounding the city, but
have been a residential area for over 20 years. For that reason, I thought these townships had
potential to provide both new and old experiences of running spaza shops because of their age and
size.
Some of the results I establish include the fact that South African-run spaza shops have indeed
declined significantly in these townships and that those that remain are struggling. While those
spaza shops run by foreign nationals, specifically those run by Ethiopian nationals are generally
on the rise and doing well, on the contrary, those run by other minorities including the Malawians,
Kenyans, and Mozambicans, also seem to be struggling. In some cases, these minority groups
seem to struggle more than South Africans. This finding deviates from the popular view that South
Africans are generally out performed by foreigners.
This study also demonstrates some of the challenges faced by both South Africans and by foreign national respectively. These include poor access to finance, poor infrastructure and lack or poor
law enforcement and policy guidance.
This study concludes by making some recommendations as to how spaza shop business can be
improved for the benefit of both South Africans and foreign nationals.
Olu phando luphanda imiba echaphazela ukusebenza koshishino lwamashishini asekhaya,
eMzantsi Afrika. Kukho ingxoxompikiswano ebanzi kuncwadi malunga nokusilela
kwezpazashoph eziqhutywa ngabemi boMzantsi Afrika, ngeli xa ezo ziqhutywa ngabemi bamanye
amazwe zibonakala zikhula. Ngolu phando ndizama ukuphanda ukuba kutheni ushishino
lwezpazashoph lubonakala lunzima kubemi boMzantsi Afrika emva kokuba beluqhuba ixesha
elide.
Ingqwalasela yolu phando ikwiilokishi zakwiNtshonalanga yoMthatha (Mthatha West), kuquka
iindawo zamatyotyombe zaseMandela, eJoe Slovo naseChris Hani Park. Ezi lokishi zikwindawo
yakwiNtshonalanga yoMthatha kuMasipala weNgingqi iKing Sabatha Dalindyebo. UMasipala
weNgingqi iKing Sabatha Dalindyebo ngomnye wooMasipala beNgingqi abahlanu abenza
uMasipala weSithili iOliver Reginald Tambo kwiMpuma yePhondo leMpuma Koloni eMzantsi
Afrika.
Kukhethwe iilokishi zakwiNtshonalanga yoMthatha kuba izindawo ezintsha nezona zinkulu
ezijikeleze esi sixeko, nangona sele kuhlalwa kuzo iyiminyaka engaphezu kwama20. Ngenxa yesi
sizathu, bendicinga ukuba ezi lokishi bezinakho ukubonelela ngamava amatsha namadala
okuqhuba izpazashoph ngenxa yobudala kunye nobukhulu bazo.
Phakathi kweziphumo ezifunyenwe kolu phando yinto yokuba izpazashoph eziqhutywa ngabemi
boMzantsi Afrika ngokwenene ziye zawa kakhulu kwezi lokishi kwaye ezo ziseleyo ziyasokola.
Izpazashoph eziqhutywa ngabemi bamanye amazwe, ngokukodwa ezo ziqhutywa ngabemi
baseEthiopia, okwangoku ngokubanzi ziyanda kwaye ziqhuba kakuhle. Ezo ziqhutywa ngamanye
amaqela amancinane, kuquka abemi baseMalawi, abemi baseKenya nabaseMozambique, kubonakala ngathi ziyasokola. Kwezinye iimeko, ezala maqela mancinane zikwimeko embi
kunezabemi boMzantsi Afrika. Ezi ziphumo ziyaphambuka kuluvo oluxhaphakileyo lokuba abemi
boMzantsi Afrika ngokubanzi bayogqithwa ngabemi bamanye amazwe kweli candelo. Olu phando lukwabonisa eminye yemingeni abajongene nayo abemi boMzantsi Afrika kunye
nabemi bamanye amazwe ngokulandelelana. Le mingeni iquka ukufikelela okulambathayo
kwezezimali, iziseko ezingekho mgangathweni, ukungabikho (okanye ukulambatha)
kokunyanzeliswa komthetho kunye nesikhokelo somgaqonkqubo.
Olu phando luqukumbela ngokwenza iingcebiso ezithile malunga nendlela amashishini
ezpazashop anokuphuculwa ngayo ukuze kuzuze abemi boMzantsi Afrika kunye nabemi bamanye
amazwe.
Phuputso ena e batlisisa ka mabaka a nang le tshusumetso tshebetsong ya dikgoebo tse
tsamaisetsoang malapeng a Aforika Boroa. Mangoloeng a ditsebi tsa diphuphutso, ho na le
dingangisano tse kenyeletsang batho ba bangata ka ho hloleha ha ho atleha ha mabenkele a
disphaza a tsamaisoang ke Maaforika Boroa. Ho bontshala ha mabenkele a tsamaisoang ke
matsoantle a bonahala a atleha. Ka phuputso ena, ke leka ho batlisisa hore hobaneng kgoebo ya
mabenkele a disphaza e bonahala e imela Maaforika Boroa ka mora ho a tsamaisa nako e telele.
Phuputsong ena ebile ka Makeisheneng a Bophirima ba Mthatha, dibakeng tsa mekhukhu tsa
Mandela, Joe Slovo, le Chris Hani Park. Makeishene ana a karolong e ka Bophirima ba Mthatha
Masepaleng wa Lehae wa King Sabatha Dalindyebo. Masepala wa Lehae wa King Sabatha
Dalindyebo ke o mong wa bomasepala ba bahlano ba lehae ba thehang Masepala wa Setereke sa
Oliver Reginald Tambo karolong e ka Botjhabela ya Porofense ya Kapa Botjhabela, Aforika
Boroa.
Makeishene a Mthatha Bophirima a kgethilwe hobane ke a matjha, hape a maholo ka ho fetisisa a
potapotileng toropo, me ebile dibaka tsa bodulo dilemo tse fetang tse 20. Ka lebaka lena, ke
nahanne hore makeishene ana a kgona ho fana ka diketsahalo tse ncha le tsa khale tsa ho tsamaisa
mabenkele a sphaza ka lebaka la dilemo le boholo ba oona.
Hara diphetho tse fihleletsoeng ke phuputso ena ke ntlha ya hore, mabenkele a sphaza a
tsamaisoang ke Maaforika Boroa a theohile haholo makeisheneng ana le hore a ntseng a le teng a
hula ka thata. Mabenkele a sphaza a tsamaisoang ke matsoantle, haholoholo a tsamaisoang ke
Maithiopia, oona ka kakaretso a a eketseha le ho atleha. A tsamaiswang ke merabe e meng e
menyane, e kenyeletsang matswantle a Malawi, Kenya le Mozambiki, a bonahala a hula ka thata,
diketsahalong tse ding, dihlopha tsena di bonahala di le boemong bo mpefetseng haholo ho feta ba Maaforika Boroa. Lesedi lena le fumanoeng le fapana le mohopolo o tsebahalang haholo wa hore
Maaforika Borwa a hloloa ke matsoantle lekaleng lena.
Phuputso ena e boela e bontsha mathata a mang ao Maaforika Boroa le matsoantle ka bobedi a
tobaneng le oona. Mathata ana a kenyeletsa ho ba le menyetla e fokolang ya ho fumana chelete,
infrastraktjha (dikao ka kakaretso) e fokolang le ho se be le sepolesa (kapa ho fokola ha sepolesa)
se hlokomelang hore ho ikobeloa (hose hlomphe) melao le ho fana ka tataiso.
Phuputso ena e qetella ka ho etsa ditshisinyo tsa kamoo dikgoebo tsa lebenkele la sphaza di ka
ntlafatsoang ka teng molemong wa Maaforika Boroa le matsoantle ka bobedi.
