Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters/MBA)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37942

Browse

Filters

2021 - 20234

Settings

Subject: search.filters.subject.Gauteng Province

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Perceived barriers to digitalization by small-scale farmers Gauteng Province
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Choguya, Donald
    Digitalization in the fourth industrial revolution era has transformed many industries across the board. However, there are some that have been affected more than the others as depicted in the digital vortex. Lagging is the agricultural sector. This study was a quantitative research study that utilized a sample of 40 small-scale farmers to be representative of the Gauteng Province small-scale farmers. The research related the perceived barriers to digitalization and its impact to the agricultural activities of small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province. The data was analysed using the multiple regression analysis and correlation coefficient. Analysis of the results showed a massive gap between small-scale farmers and commercial farmers on the adoption of digitalization. Further analysis indicated that small-scale farmers were less likely to be impacted by digitalization to adopt technological utilization. It was also found that small-scale farmers were contributors to food production. Finally, it was also discovered that small-scale farmers were less established to adapt and adopt to digitalization in their agricultural activities due to various barriers. The recommendations were that there was need to do more research to find ways to bridge the gap to digitalization between small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province and commercial farmers. So that small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province especially the small-scale farmers in rural areas could also be exposed to the digitalization of operations to enable them to improve production
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The impact of entrepreneurial mind-set on cross border trade of small medium enterprise manufacturers in Gauteng Province
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Nhlangothi, Lucky; Venter, Rob
    The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of the entrepreneurial mind-set of entrepreneurs on cross border trade (exporting) and to measure how this affected performance of the SMEs within the manufacturing sector in the Gauteng Province. It is argued that positive entrepreneurial mind-set and understanding perceived constraints of SMEs on cross border trade are determinants of successful entrepreneurship that could contribute to sustainable economic development in South Africa. The study explored the impact of entrepreneurial mind-set on cross border trade of small medium enterprises focussing on manufacturing sector in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. This was survey based empirical study of 120 respondents involved in the manufacturing industry. A descriptive quantitative method was used to address the proposed relationships between measuring metrics and growth of these enterprises. The instrument was checked for validity and reliability: the variables were operationalised and measured against multi- dimensional scales. Analysis for the proposed relationships were measured using multiple regression and correlation analysis. The finding of the research The study also contributed towards the body of literature on entrepreneurship strategy formulation at the SMES level that potentially may promote better strategy implementation by policymakers. It contributed to the existing body of knowledge by providing new findings on the impact of entrepreneurial mind-set on cross border trade amongst SMEs in manufacturing sectorin the Gauteng Province. The study also provided solutions to the declining output in the manufacturing sector. The research findings contributed to the basis for further study to other researchers to follow around the impact of entrepreneurial mind-set on cross border trade
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Characteristics and strategy of SMEs in Gauteng and their resilience in response to crises
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-02) Ndlovu, Zithulele Sizwe; Urban, Boris
    The SME sector in Gauteng is well known for its vibrant entrepreneurial culture. For the longest of time, SMEs in the Gauteng Province have been at the centre of SME growth in South Africa. However, since the first case of the coronavirus in the country close to three years ago, the sector has faced a myriad of challenges as a result of the COVID-19 national lockdown. In addition to that, just as things were starting to pick up with regard to business operations the sector was confronted with yet another crisis, only this time the crisis was in the form of load shedding. The main research objective for this study was to examine the impact of SME firm characteristics and SME firm strategy in response to crises on SME resilience in the Gauteng Province. A quantitative research approach was adopted for the purpose of this study. The total number of SME Owner-Managers that participated in this study were 71. The main findings of this study indicated that the impact of SME firm characteristics in response to crises on SME resilience in the Gauteng Province was statistically non-significant however, the impact of SME firm strategy in response to crises on SME resilience in the Gauteng Province was statistically significant
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Perceived barriers to digitalization by small-scale farmers Gauteng
    (University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Choguya, Donald; Oba, Pius
    Digitalization in the fourth industrial revolution era has transformed many industries across the board. However, there are some that have been affected more than the others as depicted in the digital vortex. Lagging is the agricultural sector. This study was a quantitative research study that utilized a sample of 40 small-scale farmers to be representative of the Gauteng Province small-scale farmers. The research related the perceived barriers to digitalization and its impact to the agricultural activities of small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province. The data was analysed using the multiple regression analysis and correlation coefficient. Analysis of the results showed a massive gap between small-scale farmers and commercial farmers on the adoption of digitalization. Further analysis indicated that small-scale farmers were less likely to be impacted by digitalization to adopt technological utilization. It was also found that small-scale farmers were contributors to food production. Finally, it was also discovered that small-scale farmers were less established to adapt and adopt to digitalization in their agricultural activities due to various barriers. The recommendations were that there was need to do more research to find ways to bridge the gap to digitalization between small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province and commercial farmers. So that small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province especially the small-scale farmers in rural areas could also be exposed to the digitalization of operations to enable them to improve production.