Background: Coopetition is a powerful means by which microenterprises can compete against large firms in low margin sectors, such as the small retail outlets in South African townships, known locally as spaza shops. Although coopetition is widely used by foreign nationals who own and manage such shops, and who are reported to be more successful, South African owners have failed to establish such relationships. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the reasons why South African owners do not form such relationships Method: The study used a qualitative, exploratory approach. Results: An absence of trust and a general lack of awareness of the potential benefits of coopetition are the major barriers. Moreover, the volatile environment within which these spaza shops operate, characterised by extensive unemployment and high crime rates, and makes the establishment of coopetitive relationships more difficult. Conclusion: Any intervention designed to improve the survival rate of spaza shops should include measures to address issues of trust and the benefits of coopetitive relationships.

中文翻译：

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定性研究南非spaza商店所有者对竞争关系的态度

背景：合作竞争是微型企业可以与低利润行业的大公司竞争的有力手段，例如南非乡镇的小型零售店，在当地被称为spaza商店。尽管拥有和经营这种商店的外国人广泛使用合作竞争，据报道他们更成功，但南非老板却未能建立这种关系。目标：这项研究的目的是探讨南非所有者不形成这种关系的原因。方法：该研究采用了定性，探索性的方法。结果：缺乏信任和普遍缺乏对竞争的潜在好处的认识是主要障碍。此外，这些spaza商店的经营环境动荡，特点是失业率高，犯罪率高，并且使建立竞争关系变得更加困难。结论：旨在提高spaza商店生存率的任何干预措施都应包括解决信任问题和合作关系的好处的措施。