The informal sector is increasingly recognized in terms of its entrepreneurial potential. However there is a general lack of empirical research on small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) effectiveness in the informal economy in Africa. Recognizing this research gap, this article investigates entrepreneurial enabling factors in the South African township context to determine their impact on SMME’s performance. Township-based SMMEs in South Africa’s largest province, Gauteng, are surveyed and hypotheses are tested with correlation and regression analyses. Results indicate that access to finance and markets, institutional support, and skill and competency development are all significant predictors of enterprise performance. Empirical investigations in under-researched African contexts are important to highlight differences in enabling factors when compared to western contexts. In South African townships, which are plagued by high inequality, poverty, high unemployment and several other socio-economic challenges, it is an important policy which takes into account the variety of enabling environment factors that impact enterprise performance.

中文翻译：

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非正式创业：关注南非乡镇企业家

非正规部门的创业潜力越来越受到认可。然而，普遍缺乏对非洲非正规经济中中小型企业 (SMME) 有效性的实证研究。认识到这一研究差距，本文调查了南非乡镇背景下的创业促进因素，以确定它们对 SMME 绩效的影响。调查了南非最大省份豪登省的乡镇中小型企业，并通过相关性和回归分析对假设进行了检验。结果表明，获得资金和市场、机构支持以及技能和能力发展都是企业绩效的重要预测因素。与西方背景相比，在研究不足的非洲背景下进行实证调查对于突出促成因素的差异非常重要。在受到高度不平等、贫困、高失业率和其他一些社会经济挑战的困扰的南非乡镇，这是一项重要的政策，它考虑了影响企业绩效的各种有利环境因素。