Abstract
Women entrepreneurs constitute up to a quarter of all businesses in the formal global economy. In the developing world, women entrepreneurs have also been seen as critical economic drivers and untapped resources and instruments through which prosperity and wealth can be transferred to their families and communities. International governments have noted the value of women's entrepreneurship as an essential catalyst for social stability, job creation, economic growth and innovation. While entrepreneurship has traditionally been seen as a predominantly male domain, there has been an emergence of notable woman entrepreneurs who have become successful and an inspiration to other women. These women have also gone into sectors such as construction, engineering, mining, and agriculture which were previously the exclusive domain of men.
Despite these acknowledgements and noted economic contributions, women entrepreneurs still face challenges that constrain their ability to start and develop scalable businesses that would earn them a sustainable living. These challenges include; gender discrimination, negative societal perceptions of the ability of women to run successful businesses, motivation, access to markets, access to funding, lack of education and training, and the traditional roles that society has defined for women to perform, such as tending to home responsibilities and raise children.
Much research has focused on the known external challenges such as gender discrimination, access to funding, and access to markets. Yet, little is understood in research about the internal factors such as education requirements, motivation, skills, and the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the internal factors that promote the success of women entrepreneurs as a separate field of study. While the study focused on women entrepreneurs in the South African agricultural sector, the researcher believes that it sets the context for the internal challenges women entrepreneurs face in other economic sectors in South Africa. The specific focus of the study was to understand; what internal factors were necessary for women agricultural entrepreneurs to be successful.
The study followed a qualitative research methodology, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews from a sample of 15 agricultural women entrepreneurs in the Tshwane region, Northwest and Limpopo, South Africa. The data was analysed using thematic analysis to generate codes and themes. Out of 126 codes, five final themes emerged, namely; 1.) training requirements 2.) motivation; 3.) financial literacy; 4.) impact; and 5.) appropriate business decisions. The study's findings indicated that, while agriculture is a practical trade, women still need at least a grade 12 as primary education to enable them to read, write and perform basic farming operations. The study further found that women need skills in financial management, project management, sales and marketing, networking, leadership, and people management and have the physical and operational ability to manage their farms. In addition, findings revealed that women need to have passion, a love of farming and nurturing to be successful in agriculture. In addition, they must seek knowledge to help them understand financial risk better, so they are less risk-averse. Finally, women entrepreneurs must be assertive, show up strong, demonstrate competency and be fearless in their approach to business.
In conclusion, based on the research findings, the following recommendations were made: 1) Women entrepreneurs should find mentors to encourage them and give them confidence. They should also seek knowledge proactively about farming and finance and network with other women to build sustainable businesses. Women entrepreneurs must also demonstrate competence and skills and show up as equal participants in the business. 2) The agricultural industry and food buyers should have more deliberate programmes to train women entrepreneurs in business management and finances and assist them in accessing markets for their produce. 3) The government should put more resources into financial literacy education, farming mechanisation and technology, assistance with funding, and access to farming resources. The government must also be more rigorous in enforcing policies enabling women entrepreneurs to access funding and markets to grow their businesses.