0000000000459460
AUTHOR
Ansgar Bitz
IN SEARCH OF BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP: WHY IS THERE A LACK OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY AMONG THE BLACK POPULATION IN SOUTH AFRICA?
Compared to other ethnic groups, the black population of South Africa has a low participation rate in entrepreneurship activities. The research question of this article is to explain this empirical fact. Based on twenty-four expert interviews, five patterns of explanation are presented and elaborated: a historical apartheid explanation, a financial resources explanation, a human capital explanation, a traits and mindset explanation and a social capital and network explanation. The historical apartheid explanation cannot be qualified independently of the other explanations as a distinctive explanation of its own. Although missing financial resources and shortages of human capital are the fa…
Black entrepreneurship: a case study on entrepreneurial activities and ambitions in a South African township
Purpose – The purpose of this article is to investigate the current self-employment rate as well as entrepreneurial intentions of the township’s population on the basis of an empirical case study of a single township. It is often assumed that the black population of South Africa (mostly living in townships) has a low participation rate in entrepreneurial activities and a low level of entrepreneurial ambitions. Besides the level of entrepreneurship, personal and socio-economic factors affecting participation in entrepreneurship are explored. Design/methodology/approach – The article uses a face-to-face survey of about 350 adult residents of the township under investigation. Findings – Contr…