Women Income Generation Projects in Rural

Abstract

In the search of solutions to socio-economic problems, there is global consensus on the fact that, alleviating the plight of small medium macro enterprises (SMMEs) is a condition sine qua non. Poverty, unemployment, and other societal ills which ensue from such socio economic problems are very prevalent in developing countries. In South Africa, efforts to resolve such ailments have produced disappointing results— with poverty and unemployment growing by the day especially in the rural areas. Women driven SMMEs in rural areas are unsustainable, ineffective and remain subsistent in nature. The lack of basic social amenities (water, electricity, and proper health care facilities), infrastructure, proper communication facilities, and prevalence amongst others, of HIV/AIDS has greatly incapacitated the functionality and industrialisation of SMMEs in South Africa. Government efforts to resolve some of these socio-economic problems, has been through support for urban and rural SMMEs. Notwithstanding this, such efforts have not been very successful due to lack of sound policies which bears into mind that, problems of rural and urban SMMEs are of different magnitude. The difficulty is further exacerbated by geographical and technological factors, and the absence of published data on the severity of the situation. This research hypothesises that, available policies are not factually backed and equipped to respond to contemporary challenges, and that the equal status quo treatment of urban and rural SMMEs and assumption that they are vibrant and properly functional are amongst other presumptions which have ill-affected government programs. With the example of Learning for All (LFA) Care Clubs, this research interrogates factors that incapacitate the sustainability of SMMEs. In this esteemed regard, the role of government policies towards the inefficacy of rural SMMEs will be reviewed