Cant andLigthelm (2003) estimate that 70-80 percent of SMEs fail. A number of elements and challenges have beenidentified as contributing factors to the high failure rate of SMEs in SouthAfrica. The research investigates theextent to which the identified variables affect South African SMEs. The objective of this paper is to determine towhat extent SMEs experience selected challenges or issues that negativelyinfluence the success of the business. Challengesand issues include exogenous macro environmental variables and endogenousenvironmental variables, namely marketing. A questionnaire was constructed and judgementsampling was used to gather the responses of 81 SMEs. The research identified inflation and interestrates, crime and unemployment, low demand for products, the wrong pricing strategiesimplemented and the location of the business to be the major problemsexperienced by SMEs. The challenge nowis to improve the skills and capabilities of SMEs to ensure their success asthey play a vital role in the South African economy.

In today’s competitive business environment, the capabilities and skills of employees are fundamental requirements for continuous productivity, innovation and success in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, the situation of SMEs with regards to training and development is characterised by a paradox and are considered to be crucial elements of competitiveness and success against the backdrop of globalisation. Previous studies have found that constant training and development initiatives are less likely to be available to employees working in SMEs than to those in larger organisations. The study therefore aims to determine the perception of entrepreneurs or SME owners towards the importance of training and development in their business. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to SME owners and a total of 60 usable responses were received. The study showed, amongst others, that a lack of resources is stronger than the influence of business management and external assistance.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in all economies around the world, they are responsible for creating of jobs, alleviating of poverty, contributing to innovation and to the gross domestic product of a country. However, many of these businesses face challenges and often fail within a short period of time. The success of small businesses is not only having products and a market to sell them to but also effective marketing of these products to the targeted market. A vast array of studies have investigated SME marketing tool usage however few have looked to SMEs in emerging economies and specifically to the traditional marketing tools such firms employ. Therefore the focus of this study was to describe the usage of traditional marketing tools employed by SMEs from a South African perspective. This study followed a quantitative research methodology whereby a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to SME owners within the Gauteng province of South Africa. Results obtained from this research indicate that SME owners mostly make use of print media while broadcast media is used selectively. Results obtained within this study will be of value universally to SME owners as it can be seen that all SMEs irrespective of geographic location face similar challenges

Previous research estimates that 8 out of 10 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not operate for more three years (Mason 2015). According to OECD ([sa]), the major problems encountered by SMEs relate to financing and regulatory burdens. However, with information technology, SMEs are able to narrow the information gap, which leads to improved strategies and decision making (OECD [sa]). In today’s competitive world, information communication technology (ICT) is recognized as a crucial success factor for SMEs. ICT refers to the accessing and communication of information using various technologies such as the internet, wireless networks and cellphones (TechTerms 2010). This research study investigates SMEs’ perception of the barriers in adopting ICT in the South African context. The objective of this paper is to determine ICT adoption and the perceived barriers associated with it among South African SMEs. A review of ICT within an SME context is examined. Through judgement sampling, a questionnaire was distributed to gather the responses of 90 SMEs. The most important barriers that were highlighted by the results of the study are the high cost of ICT systems as well as the lack of knowledge to maintain and use ICT. The challenge is to ensure that South African SMEs continue to increase the adoption of ICT. It is envisaged that by determining the barriers they face and providing recommendations as to how they can overcome these barriers, this research will assist SMEs to become more successful, as they play a vital role in the South African economy.

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed journal which publishes original research papers and case studies