Despite the contributions South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) make to the national economy, they have among the highest failure rates in the world. Though various factors contribute to their high failure rate, one factor has not been considered, namely the potential lack of governance. Governance is seldom researched in a South African SMME dispensation, rendering it a nascent research topic. Hence, this study aimed to determine the influence the “tone at the top” had on the economic sustainability of sampled South African SMMEs. The research study was empirical, exploratory and took the form of survey research. A quantitative research methodology was and data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from 123 South African SMME owners/managers and 82 South African SMME employees. All respondents had to adhere to relevant sets of delineation criteria. Stemming from the results, out of all tested attributes of management, seven overlapping attributes...
Category - Yolandé SMIT
Higher College of Technology Abu Dhabi Women’s Campus, United Arab Emirates
In South Africa, Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are often described as the driving forces of the national economy, mainly due to the socio economic value they add. Unfortunately, prior research suggests that South African SMMEs are adversely influenced by an array of economic factors, one of which is taxation. One form of taxation, which influences an array of South African SMMEs, is that of excise taxation; as levied on specific products that are considered detrimental to the social- and/or environmental well-being of South African citizens. When taking into account that excise taxation has increased year-on-year for the past 20 years, the perception was formulated that South African tobacco-and-alcohol-selling SMMEs that are subject to excise taxation, experience weak financial sustainability. As such, this study placed emphasis on the influence excise taxation levied on products sold on the financial sustainability of tobacco-and-alcohol-selling South African SMMEs...
A large proportion of South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) make use of customised internal control initiatives and customised risk management practices to mitigate and/or manage risks, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the attainment of objectives in the foreseeable future. According to research studies however, the aforementioned internal control initiatives and risk management practices are deemed to be inadequate and/or ineffective. This is especially the case as these business entities are predominantly focused on preventing generic risks in relation to the safeguarding of assets and independent checks, while ignoring key risks which may be detrimental to the attainment of their objectives. Since approximately 70% of South African SMMEs fail after being in existence less than four years it is highly probable that these business entities are not paying enough attention to mitigate and/or manage key risks (potential loss events) and controlling actual...
In South Africa, almost all existing businesses are regarded as Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). Through legislation, the South African government has identified SMMEs as the best enablers to help with the achievement of certain core socio-economic objectives; particularly the creation of jobs and reduction of poverty levels. According to previous research studies these business entities are not achieving the latter socio-economic objectives; mainly as a result of their weak existence rate – up to 80% of these business entities fail within their first three years of existence. The latter is believed to stem from the realisation of economic factors – a major economic factor which adversely influences South African SMMEs is that of taxation. Over the years, more South African SMMEs have started to make use of the internet to conduct their respective business, which spurred the national government to make amendments to existing Value Added Tax (VAT) Laws by levying taxation on...
