Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters/MBA)

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    Business model innovation for digital health entrepreneurship in primary healthcare in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Chindongo, Dalitso
    Introduction and Background: The study investigates the real-life encounters of entrepreneurs in the digital health sector in South Africa, with a focus on their innovative approaches in improving primary healthcare services. It compares seven different digital health ventures (A - G), and explores the challenges related to accessing high quality healthcare, examining how incorporating digital health technologies (DHTs) and developing creative business models is improving Primary Healthcare services in South Africa. Research Problem and Objectives: The central research question examines how digital health entrepreneurs can enhance the accessibility and quality of healthcare services through innovative business models, thereby addressing the challenges identified in primary healthcare. Methodology: For this research a qualitative approach was taken, involving a multiple case study of the seven digital health ventures operating in South Africa. The data collection comprised semi-structured interviews with CEOs/Founders and performing document analysis. The Business Model Canvas and Systems Thinking frameworks were employed in analyzing the gathered data. Key Findings: Accessing Quality Healthcare Challenges: Digital health ventures are tackling geographical and socio-economic challenges through telehealth and mobile health (mHealth solutions). Real world experiences demonstrate how these digital health ventures connect healthcare professionals with specialists, enhancing access for rural and underserved areas that make use of Primary Healthcare services in South Africa. iii The focus is on personalized and community specific interventions that prioritize patient centered care adapted to local settings, going beyond the generic digital health tools analysed in existing literature on digital health entrepreneurship. The incorporation of Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) The digital health ventures demonstrate real world use cases of DHTs like using AI based analysis, for treatment and telehealth for monitoring from a distance. These uses are in line with. going beyond the knowledge found in current research on Digital Health. Research results illustrate the significance of customizing DHT implementations to address community requirements shedding light on the obstacles and possibilities of merging technologies, in various healthcare settings. Innovative Business Models: The digital health ventures employ unique and customized revenue models, such as subscription fees and strategic partnerships, that go beyond the generic models discussed in the literature. Case studies based on the digital health ventures, illustrate the practicalities of partnership models, showcasing collaborations with healthcare providers and public health organizations, which enhance the understanding of business model adaptability in the digital health ecosystem. Conclusions and Implications: The study concludes that innovating business models, in primary healthcare could transform healthcare services in South Africa. Digital health entrepreneurship not only improves primary healthcare outcomes, but also enhances patient engagement. The research also emphasizes the significance of forming partnerships, establishing sustainable revenue models, and implementing supportive policies to maximize the advantages of digital health solutions.
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    Sustainable business model (SBM) theory of SMMEs for black youth within the South African context
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Shiba, Nokuthula Audrey; Horne, Rene
    Orientation: The purpose of the study is to use SBM theory to understand how SMMEs can invest in innovation and adopt sustainability to reduce youth unemployment among South Africa’s black youth and achieve economic growth. The South African unemployment rate of 34.5% is the highest in history of SA with the youth being the majority. There are 2.4 million SMMEs contributing to the SA’s economic growth by providing approximately 10 million jobs. Research purpose: To establish whether SBM theory explains how SMMEs can invest in innovation and adopt sustainability to reduce youth unemployment and drive economic growth among South Africa’s black youth. Motivation for the study: SMMEs located in Johannesburg, Gauteng do not have sustainable business models that can overcome the SA challenges of youth unemployment and lack of economic growth which affects the majority of South African being the black youth. Research design, approach, and method: A quantitative approach was selected, whereby a questionnaire was used to characterize the perceptions, viewpoints, habits, observations, or other representativeness of the sample, which is SMMEs in the Gauteng province in the City of Johannesburg. The variables are defined in the Qualtrics XM used to collect observations from respondents, and SPSS used to analyse the database from Qualtrics XM. The sample size was 103 respondents from out of the population size of 1 050 SMMEs in Johannesburg. According to Conroy (2016), a population size of 1 000 requires a sample size of 88 to achieve an acceptable margin of error of 10% thus achieving a confidence level of 90%. Therefore, the sample size of 103 has a 10% acceptable margin of error and 90% confidence level with regards to representation of the sample size on the total population defined in this research. Main results: The results demonstrate that SBM theory, which focuses on developing a conceptual model, explain the relationship between the investment in innovation and the adoption of sustainability by South African SMMEs. Further, that SMMEs with SBMs can achieve a reduction in youth unemployment and drive economic growth. In conclusion, the results of this research indicate that the SBM theory explains how SMMEs can invest in innovation and adopt sustainability to reduce youth unemployment and drive economic growth among South Africa’s black youth. Recommendations: Further research should be done on how SMMEs can be up skilled and educated on the SBM theory. To enable SMMEs to invest in innovation and adopt sustainability to reduce youth unemployment among South Africa’s black youth and achieve economic growth