Publication: Gender Gaps at the Enterprise Level: Evidence from South Africa
Date
2011-09
ISSN
Published
2011-09
Author(s)
Campos, Francisco
Abstract
Female-owned small to medium businesses
in the Western Cape Province in South Africa are less
productive, generate lower revenues and have less employees
than male-owned enterprises. In this brief, we use the
baseline survey for an impact evaluation of a business
development services program to identify why these
differences exist and explore paths towards policy
interventions to overcome them. Author conclude that the
concentration of businesses in low performing sectors, the
lack of commitment to the business, the intertwining of
household and business responsibilities, and access to
finance can be important barriers to the growth of
women-headed enterprises. Author suggests targeted
alternative interventions to address these constraints and
recommend comparing their effectiveness through rigorous
evaluations. Author argue that the gender differences
identified in the performance of Small, Medium, and Micro
Enterprises (SMMEs) in this Province of South Africa can be
due to a combination of: 1) the concentration of
women-entrepreneurs in a small number of low-performing
sectors, 2) firms being seen by entrepreneurs as an interim
solution, 3) the intertwining of household and enterprise
money, and 4) credit constraints.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Campos, Francisco. 2011. Gender Gaps at the Enterprise Level: Evidence from South Africa. Africa Region Gender Practice Policy Brief;No. 1. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25526 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”