African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (Aug 2018)
Constrictions of emerging tourism entrepreneurship in the townships of South Africa.
Abstract
This study contributes to the discourses that critique the underlying retrogressive constraints of tourism entrepreneurship for small, medium and micro enterprises as observed and revealed by scholarly research in the context of the South Africa (SA) townships. Although quite substantial research has been conducted on what limits tourism entrepreneurship to thrive through the operation of the emerging small businesses in South Africa, very little relevant and rigorous research has been conducted with the exact constrictions that retard the success of tourism entrepreneurship in selected townships of South Africa. The findings of this study are presented from a study of a handful of township tourism entrepreneurs where data were obtained using interviews and observations. Although in general, the blurred and often non-existence of economic development of periphery township communities in SA is attributed to fiefdom, axiomatic irresponsibility and the inability of policy implementation, other issues have also emerged through findings. A purposive sample was used from selected emerging entrepreneurs involved in tourism, yet facing numerous difficulties regarding the development of their businesses in the townships. The aim of this study was to examine and disclose the constrictions that confront the SMMEs or emerging tourism entrepreneurs in the South African townships of which some appear to be unable to source finance from financial institutions that always require collateral as security. The lenses through which this research has been conducted, are based on the broad claimed national vision of the present government to develop tourism for the well- being of the poor communities in SA through becoming incredibly attractive and a well-known and desirable destination in the world. Invariably, the findings from this study demonstrate parallelism, contradictions and the direct opposite of the desired state of affairs.
