As a retailer in the fast moving consumer goods industry in sub-Saharan Africa, I’ve keenly observed the substantial overlap between entrepreneurship and retail; many new businesses started in this part of the world are retail stores. This interest in retail entrepreneurship has led me to an even keener interest in entrepreneurship in general. So I recently I had a look at the 2015/16 Global Report from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the world’s foremost study on entrepreneurship. I’ve lived and worked both in Botswana and SA, so I was especially interested in how these two countries fared in the report. To my surprise, the two countries, though geographically adjacent to each other, were practically poles apart in the report, with SA lagging behind Botswana on several key indicators or levers of entrepreneurship. SA’s lacklustre performance in entrepreneurship affects economic development and job creation in the country. Some particularly interesting levers that can be used...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.