An Investigation into Entrepreneurial Challenges that Women Are Facing in the Soweto Region, South Africa

Abstract

The challenges of woman entrepreneurs from township areas such as Soweto are enormous and the study set out to find and describe these problems. The key problem of the study was to articulate these challenges through literature reviews and primary data and propose how to address these challenges so as to promote and encourage female entrepreneurship in townships. The study utilised the positivist paradigm to address the challenges and surveys were carried out in Soweto with hundred and twenty-three respondents to get to the depth of the problems facing female entrepreneurs. The results indicated that most of the entrepreneurs confronted regulatory pressure, problems dealing with financial institutions, corruption, crime, transport cost, inflation, high interest rates and the skills gap amongst female entrepreneurs. The study recommended a strategy for stakeholders to address skills gaps, reduce the burden of regulations on businesses, financial inclusion and access by female entrepreneurs, strategy to fight corruption, increased turn around in new venture creations, interest rate cap and offering more incentives for female entrepreneurs. Future research directions should address institutional problems in resolving female entrepreneurship challenges in areas such as townships where the disadvantaged population live. The challenges of woman entrepreneurs from township areas such as Soweto are enormous and the study set out to find and describe these problems. The key problem of the study was to articulate these challenges through literature reviews and primary data and propose how to address these challenges so as to promote and encourage female entrepreneurship in townships.