A framework to develop support strategies for SMMEs in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are the cornerstones of an economy. While there is a broad spectrum of support for these enterprises, the given support does not address all the barriers that SMMEs face. SMME support agencies do not always meet the needs of SMMEs due to their limited resources; in addition, the Northern Cape province is a widely dispersed province. The high failure rate of SMMEs in the Northern Cape province is a matter of concern. Therefore, the primary objective of the study was to develop a framework of support strategies for SMMEs in the Northern Cape province. Furthermore, the study investigated the existing support strategies for SMMEs and factors that limited SMME sustainability. Barriers to financial access, market access, and a lack of infrastructure were also determined. This study undertook a pragmatic philosophical approach and adopted a convergent parallel mixed method design. For the quantitative phase of the study, the target population comprised of SMME owners/managers in the Northern Cape province. For the qualitative phase of the study, the target population consisted of SMME support agency officials in the Northern Cape province. Convenience and snowball sampling techniques were used for the quantitative phase of the study, and 207 participants participated in the study. The purposive sampling technique was employed for the qualitative phase of the study, where 10 participants participated in the interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed, and hypotheses were tested. Statistical tests included the Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity, communalities, variance explained, scree plot, factor rotated component matrix and Pearson’s correlation analysis. The data collected from the interviews was analysed by means of content and thematic analysis. Associations were established between Support strategies, Limitations and sustainability and Barriers to SMMEs. It was found that the support provided to SMMEs is not necessarily aligned with the needs of SMMEs, and the factors that limit SMME sustainability are reinforced by the barriers to SMMEs. The study suggests the implementation of the framework for SMME support strategies (Table 6.1). The study recommends that the synergies between SMMEs, SMME support agencies, the government and all role players involved in SMME development, be improved.

Amashishini amancinci, aphakathi, kunye namancinci kakhulu (iiSMMEs) aziintsika zoqoqosho. Nangona zininzi iindlela zokuxhasa la mashishini, le nkxaso ayikwazi ukuhlangabezana nayo yonke imiqobo esendleleni yawo. Iiarhente zenkxaso yeeSMMEs azisoloko zizihlangabeza izidingo zala mashishini ngenxa yokunqongophala kwemithombo yoncedo; ngaphaya koko, iphondo loMntla Koloni libanzi kakhulu. Ukungaphumeleli kweeSMMEs eMntla Koloni kuyaxhalabisa. Ngoko ke injongo engundoqo yolu phando yayikukuphuhlisa isakhelo sokusebenza samaceho okuxhasa iiSMMEs kwiphondo loMntla Koloni. Kwakhona, esi sifundo saphanda amacebo enkxaso yeSMMEs akhoyo nozinzo lwazo olunqongopheleyo. Kwaphinda kwaqwalaselwa ukufikelela ezimalini, ukufikelela ezindaweni zokuthengisa kunye nokungabikho kwezibonelelo zokusebenza. Esi sifundo salandela indlela yophando ekuthiwa yipragmatic philosophical, apho kuthiwa into iyamkeleka ukuba isebenza kakuhle, sabuya sasebenzisa umxube weendlela zophando. Ekusebenziseni indlela yophando eqwalasela ubuninzi bamanani, isifundo sathatha isampulu yabanini/abaphathi beeSMMEs bephondo loMntla Koloni. Kwisigaba sophando ngokuzathuza isampulu yayithathwe kumagosa eearhente zokuxhasa iiSMMEs zephondo loMntla Koloni. Kwisigaba sophando esiqwalasela ubuninzi bamanani kwasetyenziswa icebo lokusampula apho abo bakhethiweyo becebisa ukuba ngobani abanye abanokusampulwa, kwaza kwakhethwa abathathi nxaxheba abangama-207 kwesi sifundo. Kwisigaba sophando ngokuzathuza isampulu yathathwa kujoliswe kwinjongo ethile, kwaqwalaselwa iimpawu ezithile, kwaza kwakhethwa abathathi nxaxheba abali-10 ekwakuza kubanjwa nabo udliwano ndlebe. Ubalo manani ngohlalutyo olucacisayo noluzathuzayo lwenziwa, kwavavanywa izigqibo ezibekwe ngaphambi kophando. Ezinye iindlela zovavanyo manani ezasetyenziswayo zezifana neCronbach’s alpha, iKaiser-Meyer-Olkin kunye neBartlett’s Test of Sphericity. Kwenziwa nohlalutyo olucacisa ukufana okanye ukungafani kweempawu ezithile ngokwamanani esampulu, oko kusenziwa ngeendlela zohlalutyo ezifana nothelekiso oluyiPearson’s correlation analysis. Idatha eyaqokelelwa kwiindliwano ndlebe yahlalutywa ngokuqwalasela iziqulatho kunye nomxholo wokuphandwayo.

Kwasekwa unxulumano phakathi kwamacebo enkxaso, ukusilela nokuzinza, kunye nemiqobo yeeSMMEs. Kwafunyaniswa ukuba inkxaso enikwa iiSMMEs ayisoloko ingqamene nezidingo zazo, kwaye izinto ezibangela ukusilela kozinzo lweeSMMEs kongezelelwa yimiqobo esendleleni yeeSMMEs. Umphandi ucebisa ukuba kusetyenziswe isakhelo sokusebenza ekuqiniseni amacebo okuxhasa iiSMMEs (Itheyibhile 6.1). Kwakhona, umphandi ucebisa ukuqiniswa kwentsebenziswano phakathi kweeSMMEs, iiarhente zokuxhasa iiSMMEs, urhulumente nabo bonke abanendima abayidlalayo ekuphuhlisweni kweeSMMEs

Dikgwebopotlana (diSMME) ke mooko wa ikonomi. Le fa go na le tshegetso ya dikgwebo tseno ka bophara, tshegetso e di e amogelang ga e samagane le dikgoreletsi tsotlhe tse diSMME di lebanang natso. Ditheo tsa tshegetso ya diSMME ga di fitlhelele ditlhokego tsa diSMME ka gale ka ntlha ya ditlamelo tse di tlhaelang; go tlaleletsa moo, porofense ya Kapa Bokone ke porofense e e anameng thata. Seelo se se kwa godimo sa go retelelwa ga diSMME kwa Kapa Bokone ke ntlha e e tshwenyang thata. Ka jalo, maikemisetso magolo a thutopatlisiso e ne e le go tlhama letlhomeso la ditogamaano tsa tshegetso ya diSMME tsa porofense ya Kapa Bokone. Mo godimo ga moo, thutopatlisiso e batlisisitse ditogamaano tse di gona tsa tshegetso ya diSMME le dintlha tse di kgoreletsang go tsweletsega ga diSMME. Go ne ga lebelelwa gape dikgoreletsi tsa go fitlhelela ditšhelete, go fitlhelela mebaraka, gammogo le tlhaelo ya mafaratlhatlha. Thutopatlisiso e dirisitse molebo wa filosofi mme ya dirisa thadiso ya mmeo o o tswakaneng. Mo legatong la khwanthitatifi la thutopatlisiso, setlhophasegolo e ne e le beng/batsamaisi ba diSMME kwa porofenseng ya Kapa Bokone. Mo legatong la khwalithatifi la thutopatlisiso, setlhophasegolo e ne e le batlhankedi ba ditheo tsa tshegetso ya diSMME kwa porofenseng ya Kapa Bokone. Go dirisitswe dithekeniki tsa go tlhopha sampole tse di letlang banni le seabe go thusa go bona banni le seabe ba bangwe mo legatong la khwanthitatifi la thutopatlisiso, mme go nnile le banni le seabe ba le 207 mo thutopatlisisong. Go dirisitswe dithekeniki tsa go tlhopha sampole tse di letlang banni le seabe go thusa go bona banni le seabe ba bangwe mo legatong la khwalithatifi la thutopatlisiso, mme go nnile le banni le seabe ba le 10 mo dikopanopotsolotsong. Go dirilwe dipalopalo tse di tlhalosang le tse di dirisang didiriswa tsa tokololo go dira ditshwetso, mme ga lekelediwa haepotesese. Diteko tsa dipalopalo di akareditse alpha ya ga Cronbach, tokololo ya ntlha ya tlhotlhomiso, tekanyetso ya go lekana ga sampole ya Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Teko ya ga Bartlett ya Seferesiti, go tlhakanela dipoelo, dipharologantsho tse di tlhalositsweng, poloto ya mola, tekanyetso ya dikarolo e e fokotsang dintlha, le tokololo ya tsamaelano ya ga Pearson. Data e e kokoantsweng go tswa mo dikopanopotsolotsong e lokolotswe ka tokololo ya diteng le go ya ka merero. Go ne ga lebelelwa tsamaelano magareng ga ditogamaano tsa tshegetso, ditlhaelo le tsweletsego, gammogo le dikgoreletsi tsa diSMME. Go fitlhetswe gore tshegetso e e neelwang diSMME ga e lepalepane le ditlhokego tsa diSMME, mme dintlha tse di lekanyetsang tsweletsego ya diSMME di okediwa ke dikgoreletsi tsa diSMME. Mmatlisisi o tshitshinya gore go tsenngwe tirisong letlhomeso la ditogamaano tsa tshegetso ya diSMME (Lenane 6.1). Gape mmatllisisi o atlenegisa gore go nne le tirisanommogo magareng ga diSMME, ditheo tsa tshegetso ya diSMME, puso le banni le seabe botlhe ba tlhabololo ya diSMME.