Kolobe, Benjamin2025-01-172025-01-172024Kolobe, Benjamin. (2024). The effects of coronavirus on SMEs business performance, technology adaptation, financial innovation, and sustainability [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg].WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/43525A dissertation turned in to the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Business Sciences (SBS) to satisfy the requirements for the Master of Commerce (Research) in Business Sciences/Management degree, Johannesburg 2024Businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in significant economic hardship. An analysis of COVID-19's impact on Small Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) shows that these businesses' and their employees' financial outcomes are probably going to get worse before getting better. The main issue is that small and medium-sized business owners have restricted access to capital and innovative strategies, which has made it challenging for them to deal with the tight constraints. As a result, many SMEs have had to adopt innovative financial and technological strategies to promote sustainability and prevent closure (Puddister & Small, 2020). This study examines the impact on business performance, technology adaptation, financial innovation, sustainability, and lockdown restrictions of SMEs during the pandemic. An online questionnaire with 30 closed-ended questions was administered to entrepreneurs in the retail sector across Gauteng. The following inquiries are addressed in the study: What impact has the coronavirus had on SMEs' ability to do business? How has technology adoption improved small and medium- sized enterprises' performance during the coronavirus lockdowns? Is there a chance that financial innovation may sustain SMEs throughout the pandemic? Has the coronavirus epidemic affected SMEs' ability to survive? Using non-parametric tests, the researcher examined the correlations between the independent and dependent variables for each of the four hypotheses using IBM SPSS. The associations between the variables were examined using inferential statistics such as Spearman's rho correlation function, multinominal logistic regression, generalized linear model, and ordinal linear regression. All four of the hypothesis' correlations were determined to be significant. This study suggests that fostering financial inclusion, promoting technology adoption through training and grants, and encouraging innovative financial approaches can empower SMEs to navigate pandemic challenges and build resilience. Proactive policy interventions and support systems tailored to SMEs are crucial to mitigating the pandemic's economic consequences and promoting long-term sustainabilityen© 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.SMEsCOVID-19Technology adaptationBusiness performanceFinancial innovationSustainabilityLockdown restrictionsEconomic consequencesUCTDSDG-8: Decent work and economic growthDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg