The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy
| dc.contributor.advisor | Meyer, Camille | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Zolfaghari, Badri | |
| dc.contributor.author | Van Der Poel, Stefan | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-01-28T12:55:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-01-28T12:55:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2026-01-28T12:52:49Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Purpose - In the linear economy (LE) natural resources are extracted, used to make products and services and are then discarded. This model has two key limitations: firstly, the LE relies on natural resources, which are finite, and the LE generates a significant amount of waste. The proposed solution is switching from a LE to a circular economy (CE), where energy and materials are used repeatedly. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are significant contributors to the global economy and are faced with unique challenges. Understanding what factors are most influential in determining the successful transition of South African SMEs from the LE to the CE was the primary objective of the present study. Methodology - The study adopted a quantitative research approach. Through the deployment an online survey, a questionnaire comprised of a series of 5-point Likert scale questions was completed by 62 respondents. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Findings - Insufficient government support & funding and a lack of regulatory incentives for CE adoption to be the two most significant barriers facing South African SMEs transition to the circular economy. Conclusion - Until CE business models are viable enough for South African SMEs to transition from the LE to the CE without a reduction in their profitability levels, regulatory incentives will have to be provided by the South African government to make the transition financially viable. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Van Der Poel, S. (2025). <i>The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42738 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Van Der Poel, Stefan. <i>"The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB), 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42738 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Van Der Poel, S. 2025. The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB). http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42738 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Van Der Poel, Stefan AB - Purpose - In the linear economy (LE) natural resources are extracted, used to make products and services and are then discarded. This model has two key limitations: firstly, the LE relies on natural resources, which are finite, and the LE generates a significant amount of waste. The proposed solution is switching from a LE to a circular economy (CE), where energy and materials are used repeatedly. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are significant contributors to the global economy and are faced with unique challenges. Understanding what factors are most influential in determining the successful transition of South African SMEs from the LE to the CE was the primary objective of the present study. Methodology - The study adopted a quantitative research approach. Through the deployment an online survey, a questionnaire comprised of a series of 5-point Likert scale questions was completed by 62 respondents. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Findings - Insufficient government support & funding and a lack of regulatory incentives for CE adoption to be the two most significant barriers facing South African SMEs transition to the circular economy. Conclusion - Until CE business models are viable enough for South African SMEs to transition from the LE to the CE without a reduction in their profitability levels, regulatory incentives will have to be provided by the South African government to make the transition financially viable. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - circular economy KW - linear economy KW - SMEs KW - South Africa KW - limitations KW - transition LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy TI - The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42738 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42738 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Van Der Poel S. The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Graduate School of Business (GSB), 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42738 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Graduate School of Business (GSB) | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Commerce | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject | circular economy | |
| dc.subject | linear economy | |
| dc.subject | SMEs | |
| dc.subject | South Africa | |
| dc.subject | limitations | |
| dc.subject | transition | |
| dc.title | The barriers and enablers to South African SMEs entering the circular economy | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | MPhil |