Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorHall, Martin
dc.contributor.authorDe Waal, Anelia
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-21T07:23:59Z
dc.date.available2024-11-21T07:23:59Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.date.updated2024-11-21T07:21:36Z
dc.description.abstractThe COVID-19 pandemic had globally disruptive repercussions, resulting in the resiliency of numerous support systems being tested, including the support ecosystem for small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs). Small business development initiatives, such as incubation and acceleration programmes, ostensibly provide a supportive environment for SMMEs to overcome economic pressures and market failures. They provide a critical role in the development of SMMEs and, by extension, healthy, inclusive economies. Given the catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of SMMEs closing down, particularly in South Africa, ensuring that future support mechanisms are geared towards adaptability and resiliency is imperative. In pursuit of this, efforts to understand how enterprise support organisations involved in incubation-style small business development programmes experienced the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical step in developing frameworks for future crisis responses. In aid of this goal, the research project focused on the experiences of 12 practitioners representing enterprise support organisations, using qualitative research methods to code and compare emerging experiences. The research found a correlation between the influence of power and agency on multi-level decision-making, and how this determines capacity to adapt and respond in inclusive and meaningful ways. It is the recommendation of this study that small business development organisations develop adaptive support practices that centre inclusivity and leverage micro-agency. Key mechanisms found in the study include the adoption of limited hierarchical operation practices, open dialogue that prioritises collaboration, and continuous learning and improvement initiatives. Future research needs to be conducted from the perspective of SMMEs within development programmes during COVID-19, to bolster the study findings, and aid in determining the degrees to which support initiatives were effective.
dc.identifier.apacitationDe Waal, A. (2024). <i>Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa</i>. (). University of Cape Twon ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40724en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDe Waal, Anelia. <i>"Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa."</i> ., University of Cape Twon ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB), 2024. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40724en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDe Waal, A. 2024. Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa. . University of Cape Twon ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB). http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40724en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - De Waal, Anelia AB - The COVID-19 pandemic had globally disruptive repercussions, resulting in the resiliency of numerous support systems being tested, including the support ecosystem for small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs). Small business development initiatives, such as incubation and acceleration programmes, ostensibly provide a supportive environment for SMMEs to overcome economic pressures and market failures. They provide a critical role in the development of SMMEs and, by extension, healthy, inclusive economies. Given the catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of SMMEs closing down, particularly in South Africa, ensuring that future support mechanisms are geared towards adaptability and resiliency is imperative. In pursuit of this, efforts to understand how enterprise support organisations involved in incubation-style small business development programmes experienced the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical step in developing frameworks for future crisis responses. In aid of this goal, the research project focused on the experiences of 12 practitioners representing enterprise support organisations, using qualitative research methods to code and compare emerging experiences. The research found a correlation between the influence of power and agency on multi-level decision-making, and how this determines capacity to adapt and respond in inclusive and meaningful ways. It is the recommendation of this study that small business development organisations develop adaptive support practices that centre inclusivity and leverage micro-agency. Key mechanisms found in the study include the adoption of limited hierarchical operation practices, open dialogue that prioritises collaboration, and continuous learning and improvement initiatives. Future research needs to be conducted from the perspective of SMMEs within development programmes during COVID-19, to bolster the study findings, and aid in determining the degrees to which support initiatives were effective. DA - 2024 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - COVID-19 KW - SMMEs KW - Small, Micro, and Medium-sized Enterprises KW - South Africa LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Twon PY - 2024 T1 - Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa TI - Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40724 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/40724
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDe Waal A. Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa. []. University of Cape Twon ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB), 2024 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40724en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentGraduate School of Business (GSB)
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerce
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Twon
dc.subjectCOVID-19
dc.subjectSMMEs
dc.subjectSmall, Micro, and Medium-sized Enterprises
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.titleExploring the impact of COVID-19 on private sector SMME incubation support in South Africa
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPhil
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