支持南非城镇的小规模微型创业

No. 2626 | MAY 2026 Supporting Small-ScaleMicro-Entrepreneurship inSouth Africa’s Townships Gibson MudirizaSamantha De MartinoWendy Cunningham Series Description The Social Policy and Labor Discussion Paper series presents analysis and research that informs policy dialogue andoperational practice across social protection, social development, and labor markets. Social Protection: the collection covers the full lifecycle of Social Assistance, Social Insurance, Care, and SocialServices. Labor: the collection covers Active and Passive Labor Market Programs, Training and Skills Development, YouthEmployment, Economic Inclusion, and International Labor Mobility and Migration. SocialDevelopment:the collection covers Community and Local Development,Inclusion,Cohesion,ForcedDisplacement, Gender, and Human Rights. Across all areas, the series highlights cross-cutting issues such as Climate Change, Fragility and Conflict, andResilience. Copyright © 2026 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW,Washington DC 20433 Telephone: +1 (202) 473 1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings,interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of TheWorld Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries,colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply anyjudgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or theendorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination ofits knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as longas full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World BankPublications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: +1 (202) 5222625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Supporting Small-ScaleMicro-Entrepreneurship in SouthAfrica’s Townships Gibson Mudiriza, Samantha De Martino, and Wendy Cunningham Abstract Drawing on qualitative data from 11 key informants and 75 small-scale firm owners in South Africa’stownships,this paper identifies five factors shaping micro-entrepreneurial success.First,micro-entrepreneurship often begins as employment of last resort but evolves into a deliberatechoice as owners value its autonomy and independence. Second, social and communal networksexpand access to shared resources, information, and markets. Third, complex processes and limitedbenefits discourage firm registration, even though entrepreneurs feel that it boosts customer trustand patronage. Fourth, access to government support is low, hindered by perceived programirrelevance and stringent eligibility criteria. Fifth, success depends less on finance than on resilience,resourcefulness, and mindset. These findings underscore the need for holistic programs offeringbusiness training, socio-emotional skills, mentorship, and collective business strategies tailored tothe township economy. Keywords:Informal economy, entrepreneurship, South Africa JEL Codes:J46, L26, O17, O55 Acknowledgements This policy note was authored by World Bank staffincludingSamantha De Martino, GibsonMudiriza, and Wendy Cunningham, under the guidance of Suleiman Namara and Iftikhar Malik.The authors express their deep gratitude to Lauren Graham, Senzelwe Mthembu, AnthonyKaziboni,Tunisha Naidoo, and Dominique Ralaralafrom the Centre for Social Development inAfrica (CSDA) at the University of Johannesburg, as well as Ariane De Lannoy from the SouthernAfrica Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at the University of Cape Town, for theirvaluable contributions in collecting the qualitative data and writing thebackgroundpaper “Micro-entrepreneurs in South Africa’s Townships: Motivations, Successes, Challenges, and Strategies ofImmigrant-and Local-owned Businesses in the Informal Economy,” which serves as thefoundation for this policy note. The authors also wish to thank Federica RicaldiandHarry Morozfor their insightful feedback on earlier versions of the policy note, as well as the participants oftheCSDA seminar series and the World Bank’s KNOMAD seminar series.The authors gratefullyacknowledge the financial support provided by the KNOMAD Multi-Donor Trust Fundand theGovernment of Canada. Abstract....................................................................................................................................1Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................2Acronyms...............................................