The necessity for education and training within the survivalist retail entrepreneurship sector

Abstract

This paper investigates the necessity for education and training within the survivalist retail entrepreneurship sector in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. A structured questionnaire, informal interviews and observations were employed to collect data. To analyse the collected data, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 23) was employed. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed, but only 128 usable completed copies were returned. The key findings were twofold: (1) an admission by the majority of the subjects that their businesses are not doing particularly well owing to their lack of basic business skills; and (2) the subjects’ admission that competitive practices of the immigrant retail entrepreneurs in the township can be counteracted if they had adequate business skills. These findings imply that should survivalist retail entrepreneurs in Khayelitsha be expected to add greater value to the economy by creating employment opportunities, it is essential that they are provided with skills training on a regular basis by government agencies and other stakeholders such as the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA). This paper has its origin in the considered intention of the Wholesale and Retail Leadership Chair of CPUT1 to assist in developing the retail sector of the community of Khayelitsha.