A conceptual framework for success factors required for a South African SME foundry. Uhlakamqondo lwezakhizici zempumelelo ezidingekayo embonini yaseNingizimu Afrika yosayizi omncane namaphakathi.

Abstract

South Africa has witnessed an unprecedented decline in the number of foundries over the past four decades, with literature reflecting that there has been about 73 percent reduction in the number of foundries in South Africa in this period. The purpose of this research is to investigate the contribution of four sets of factors, which are: entrepreneur’s individual characteristics, internal non-individual factors, external-non individual factors, and operational approaches of a foundry as definitive of success. The research also sought to establish intervention measures that could be implemented to make these foundries more sustainable. Through hypothesis testing, the research also sought to establish relationships between the four sets of factors and intervention measures.

The target population was 117 small and medium enterprise foundries in South Africa. Sample sizes were 303 participants for the quantitative strands and 11 participants for the qualitative strand. Judgemental purposive sampling was employed for the qualitative strand and cluster sampling for quantitative strand. Two questionnaires were the only tools used for collecting data, one personally administered for the qualitative strand, and another administered online for the quantitative strand. Convergent mixed methods approach was employed, where both qualitative and quantitative data was collected, analysed, and compared to identify where the two strands converged. The factors upon which the two data strands converged were accepted as the success factors required to effectively run an SME foundry in South Africa. Structural equation modelling and thematic analysis were used for data analysis of quantitative and qualitative strands respectively.

It was verified that intervention measures had a positive relationship with the entrepreneur’s individual characteristics, external non-individual characteristics, and operations approach of SME foundries. The hypothesis of a relationship between intervention measures and internal non- individual characteristics of a foundry was not supported, hence it was rejected. Ultimately, a framework outlining the success factors and intervention measures required as well as their relationships was postulated.

This research contributes to the novel knowledge on success factors required to run SME foundries through the suggested framework. In the penultimate, recommendations and suggestions for future studies are proffered. IQOQA INingizimu Afrika ibone ukwehla okungakaze kubonwe kwenani lezisekelo kule minyaka engamashumi amane edlule, kanti izincwadi zikhombisa ukuthi lehle ngamaphesenti angama-73 enanini lezikhungo ezisunguliwe eNingizimu Afrika ngalesisikhathi. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukuphenya umnikelo wamasethi amane wezinto, okuyilezi: izakhizici zomuntu ngamunye zosomabhizinisi, izakhizici zangaphakathi ezingezona ezomuntu ngamunye, izakhizici zangaphandle ezingezona zomuntu ngamunye, nezindlela zokusebenza zesikhungo njengesiqinisekiso sempumelelo. Ucwaningo luphinde lwafuna ukusungula izindlela zokungenelela ezingase zisetshenziswe ukwenza lezizikhungo zisimame. Ngokuhlolwa kombono ongakafakazelwa, ucwaningo luphinde lwafuna ukusungula ubudlelwano phakathi kwamasethi amane ezakhizici kanye nezinyathelo zokungenelela. Isibalo sabantu okuhloswe ngaso kwakuyizikhungo zamabhizinisi amancane naphakathi ayikhulu neshumi nesikhombisa (117) eNingizimu Afrika. Osayizi besampula bebengabahlanganyeli abangamamakhulu amathathu nantathu (303) bemicu yekhwantithethivu kanye nabahlanganyeli abayishumi nanye (11) bomucu wekhwalithethivu. Ukusampula okuhlosiwe kokwahlulela kwasetshenziswa ukuze kutholakale umucu wekhwalithethivu kanye nesampula leqoqo lomucu wekhwantithethivu. Uhlu lwemibuzo olubili yiwona kuphela amathuluzi asetshenziselwa ukuqoqa imininingo, eyodwa ilawulwa mathupha ngomucu wekhwalithi, kanti enye ilawulwa ku-inthanethi ngomucu wekhwantithethivu. Kusetshenziswe izindlela ezixubile, lapho kokubili imininingo yekhwalithethivu neyekhwantithethivu yaqoqwa khona, yahlaziywa, futhi yaqhathaniswa nokukhomba lapho le migqa emibili yahlangana khona. Izinto lapho imicu yemininingo amabili ahlangane khona zamukelwe njengezici zempumelelo ezidingekayo ukuze kuqhutshwe ngempumelelo umsunguli wama-SME eNingizimu Afrika. Ukumodela kwezibalo zesakhiwo nokuhlaziywa okuhambisana nezindikimba kusetshenziswe ekuhlaziyweni kwemininingo yemicu yekhwantithethivu nekhwalithethivu ngokulandelanayo. Kwaqinisekiswa ukuthi izindlela zokungenelela zinobudlelwano obuhle nezakhizici zosomabhizinisi ngamunye, izakhizici zangaphandle ezingezona ezomuntu ngamunye, kanye nendlela yokusebenza yezikhungo zama-SME. Umbono ongakafakazelwa wobudlelwane phakathi kwezinyathelo zokungenelela kanye nezakhizici zangaphakathi ezingezona ezomuntu ngamunye ze-Foundry ayizange isekelwe, ngakho-ke yenqatshwa. Ekugcineni, uhlaka oluchaza izakhizici zempumelelo kanye nezinyathelo zokungenelela ezidingekayo kanye nobudlelwano babo lwabekwa phambili. Lolu cwaningo lunomthelela olwazini olusha olumayelana nezici zempumelelo ezidingekayo ukuze kuqhutshwe izisekelo zama-SME ngohlaka oluphakanyisiwe. Kokulandela okokugcina, izincomo neziphakamiso zezifundo zesikhathi esizayo ziyanikezwa.